Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q3 behind us, let’s have a look at Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) and its peers.

The massive physical footprints of cell phone towers, fiber in the ground, or satellites in space make it challenging for companies in this industry to adjust to shifting consumer habits. Over the last decade-plus, consumers have ‘cut the cord’ to their landlines and traditional cable subscriptions in favor of wireless communications and streaming video. These trends do mean that more households need cell phone plans and high-speed internet. Companies that successfully serve customers can enjoy high retention rates and pricing power since the options for mobile and internet connectivity in any geography are usually limited.

The 8 wireless, cable and satellite stocks we track reported a slower Q3. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

While some wireless, cable and satellite stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 4.9% since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q3: Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI)

Known for its commercial-free music channels, Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) is a broadcasting company that provides satellite radio and online radio services across North America.

Sirius XM reported revenues of $2.17 billion, down 4.4% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.

Sirius XM delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and weakest full-year guidance update of the whole group. The company reported 39.07 million users, down 2.5% year on year. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 15.3% since reporting and currently trades at $23.20.

Read our full report on Sirius XM here, it’s free.

Best Q3: Charter (NASDAQ:CHTR)

Operating as Spectrum, Charter (NASDAQ:CHTR) is a leading telecommunications company offering cable television, high-speed internet, and voice services across the United States.

Charter reported revenues of $13.8 billion, up 1.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1%. The business had a satisfactory quarter with a decent beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 6.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $348.82.

Is now the time to buy Charter? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Altice (NYSE:ATUS)

Based in Long Island City, Altice USA (NYSE:ATUS) is a telecommunications company offering cable, internet, telephone, and television services across the United States.

Altice reported revenues of $2.23 billion, down 3.9% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $2.63.

Read our full analysis of Altice’s results here.

Cable One (NYSE:CABO)

Founded in 1986, Cable One (NYSE:CABO) provides high-speed internet, cable television, and telephone services, primarily in smaller markets across the United States.

Cable One reported revenues of $393.6 million, down 6.4% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Aside from that, it was a slower quarter as it logged a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 4.6% since reporting and currently trades at $368.90.

Read our full, actionable report on Cable One here, it’s free.

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA)

Formerly known as American Cable Systems, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is a multinational telecommunications company offering a wide range of services.

Comcast reported revenues of $32.07 billion, up 6.5% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Comcast pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 11.4% since reporting and currently trades at $37.49.

Read our full, actionable report on Comcast here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed's series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market has thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% each in November and December), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump's presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by the pace and magnitude of future rate cuts as well as potential changes in trade policy and corporate taxes once the Trump administration takes over. The path forward is marked by uncertainty.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

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