Charter Communications shares are trading lower amid possible sympathy with Comcast after Keybanc downgraded its rating and Citigroup cut its price target on that stock.

Better Telecom Stock: AT&T vs. Verizon Communications

AT&T and Verizon are compared as investment options for 2026. AT&T has improved profitability with a 17.4% net margin after divesting media assets, while Verizon has pursued aggressive acquisitions to expand fiber and broadband capabilities. Despite AT&T's higher net margin and lower valuation, the analyst recommends Verizon due to its superior dividend track record (20 consecutive years of increases, 6.57% yield vs. AT&T's 4.94%), stronger free cash flow, and more attractive forward P/E ratio, despite higher debt levels from recent acquisitions.

Stock Market Today: Nasdaq 100 Rebounds From OpenAI Scare, T-Mobile Tumbles 12%

The Nasdaq 100 recovers from Thursday's OpenAI-driven selloff while T-Mobile sinks 12% on SpaceX's spectrum deal and the 10-year yield holds near 5.26%.

Shares of mobile and broadband communications companies are trading lower after SpaceX announced that it would purchase Grain Management's 800 MHz spectrum, which will put the satellite communications developer in competition with legacy terrestrial carriers, leading to lower sales and margins.

Why Charter Communications Plunged in September

Charter Communications stock plunged 27.3% in September due to rising long-term interest rates pressuring its $94 billion debt load, combined with an analyst downgrade citing competitive threats from SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service. While the stock appears cheap trading below its EBITDA, the company faces declining revenue and potential bankruptcy risk, making it a high-risk investment.