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Should You Buy AT&T Inc. (T) or Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (CNSL)?
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInLeft”]AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) shares are down more than -18.86% this year and recently decreased -0.03% or -$0.01 to settle at $34.51. Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNSL), on the other hand, is down -49.91% year to date as of 11/17/2017. It currently trades at $13.45 and has returned -5.35% during the past week.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNSL) are the two most active stocks in the Telecom Services – Domestic industry based on today’s trading volumes. Investor interest in the two stocks is clearly very high, but which is the better investment? To answer this question, we will compare the two companies across growth, profitability, risk, and valuation metrics, and also examine their analyst ratings and insider activity trends.
Growth
Companies that can increase earnings at a high compound rate over time are attractive to investors. Analysts expect T to grow earnings at a 6.52% annual rate over the next 5 years. Comparatively, CNSL is expected to grow at a 2.00% annual rate. All else equal, T’s higher growth rate would imply a greater potential for capital appreciation.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_raw_html]JTNDJTIxLS0lMjBUcmFkaW5nVmlldyUyMFdpZGdldCUyMEJFR0lOJTIwLS0lM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnMzLnRyYWRpbmd2aWV3LmNvbSUyRnR2LmpzJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNFJTBBJTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTNFJTBBbmV3JTIwVHJhZGluZ1ZpZXcud2lkZ2V0JTI4JTdCJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIyd2lkdGglMjIlM0ElMjA2MDAlMkMlMEElMjAlMjAlMjJoZWlnaHQlMjIlM0ElMjA0MDAlMkMlMEElMjAlMjAlMjJzeW1ib2wlMjIlM0ElMjAlMjJUJTIyJTJDJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIyaW50ZXJ2YWwlMjIlM0ElMjAlMjJEJTIyJTJDJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIydGltZXpvbmUlMjIlM0ElMjAlMjJFdGMlMkZVVEMlMjIlMkMlMEElMjAlMjAlMjJ0aGVtZSUyMiUzQSUyMCUyMkxpZ2h0JTIyJTJDJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIyc3R5bGUlMjIlM0ElMjAlMjIxJTIyJTJDJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIybG9jYWxlJTIyJTNBJTIwJTIyZW4lMjIlMkMlMEElMjAlMjAlMjJ0b29sYmFyX2JnJTIyJTNBJTIwJTIyJTIzZjFmM2Y2JTIyJTJDJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIyZW5hYmxlX3B1Ymxpc2hpbmclMjIlM0ElMjBmYWxzZSUyQyUwQSUyMCUyMCUyMmhpZGVfc2lkZV90b29sYmFyJTIyJTNBJTIwZmFsc2UlMkMlMEElMjAlMjAlMjJhbGxvd19zeW1ib2xfY2hhbmdlJTIyJTNBJTIwdHJ1ZSUyQyUwQSUyMCUyMCUyMmhpZGVpZGVhcyUyMiUzQSUyMHRydWUlMEElN0QlMjklM0IlMEElM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEElM0MlMjEtLSUyMFRyYWRpbmdWaWV3JTIwV2lkZ2V0JTIwRU5EJTIwLS0lM0UlMEElMEE=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]Profitability and Returns
Growth in and of itself is not necessarily valuable, and it can even be harmful to shareholders if companies overinvest in unprofitable projects in pursuit of that growth. We will use EBITDA margin and Return on Investment (ROI), which adjust for differences in capital structure, as measure of profitability and return. , compared to an EBITDA margin of 19.91% for Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (CNSL). T’s ROI is 7.20% while CNSL has a ROI of 3.70%. The interpretation is that T’s business generates a higher return on investment than CNSL’s.
Cash Flow
The amount of free cash flow available to investors is ultimately what determines the value of a stock. T’s free cash flow (“FCF”) per share for the trailing twelve months was +0.46. Comparatively, CNSL’s free cash flow per share was -0.82. On a percent-of-sales basis, T’s free cash flow was 1.72% while CNSL converted -0.01% of its revenues into cash flow. This means that, for a given level of sales, T is able to generate more free cash flow for investors.
Liquidity and Financial Risk
Liquidity and leverage ratios measure a company’s ability to meet short-term obligations and longer-term debts. T has a current ratio of 1.60 compared to 0.90 for CNSL. This means that T can more easily cover its most immediate liabilities over the next twelve months. T’s debt-to-equity ratio is 1.31 versus a D/E of 4.72 for CNSL. CNSL is therefore the more solvent of the two companies, and has lower financial risk.
Valuation
T trades at a forward P/E of 11.83, a P/B of 1.70, and a P/S of 1.32, compared to a forward P/E of 41.77, a P/B of 1.89, and a P/S of 1.09 for CNSL. Given that earnings are what matter most to investors, analysts tend to place a greater weight on the P/E.
Analyst Price Targets and Opinions
Just because a stock is cheaper doesn’t mean there’s more value to be had. In order to assess value we need to compare the current price to where it’s likely to trade in the future. T is currently priced at a -13.03% to its one-year price target of 39.68. Comparatively, CNSL is -39.44% relative to its price target of 22.21. This suggests that CNSL is the better investment over the next year.
The average investment recommendation on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being a strong buy, 3 a hold, and 5 a sell) is 2.60 for T and 2.30 for CNSL, which implies that analysts are more bullish on the outlook for T.
Risk and Volatility
Beta is a metric that investors frequently use to analyze a stock’s systematic risk. A beta above 1 implies above average market volatility. Conversely, a stock with a beta below 1 is seen as less risky than the overall market. T has a beta of 0.40 and CNSL’s beta is 0.87. T’s shares are therefore the less volatile of the two stocks.
Insider Activity and Investor Sentiment
Analysts often look at short interest, or the percentage of a company’s float currently being shorted by investors, to aid in their outlook for a particular stock. T has a short ratio of 7.09 compared to a short interest of 9.73 for CNSL. This implies that the market is currently less bearish on the outlook for T.
Summary
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) beats Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNSL) on a total of 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. T is growing fastly, is more profitable, generates a higher return on investment, has higher cash flow per share, has a higher cash conversion rate, higher liquidity and has lower financial risk. In terms of valuation, T is the cheaper of the two stocks on an earnings and book value, Finally, T has better sentiment signals based on short interest.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]