AT&T bets big on Time Warner

Article Excerpt

AT&T has now completed its $103 billion takeover of Time Warner. Big acquisitions like this add considerable risk. However, Time Warner’s extensive library of movies and TV shows should help the company compete with online video providers like Netflix and YouTube. The stock dropped after AT&T closed the deal, but the company’s long-term prospects remain bright. Moreover, its dividend yields a high 6.2% and still looks secure. AT&T INC. $32 (New York symbol T; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 7.3 billion; Market cap: $233.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 6.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.att.com) is the largest wireless carrier in the U.S., with 143.8 million subscribers. It also has 9.6 million traditional phone customers, 14.4 million high-speed Internet users, and 25.4 million TV customers. As well, AT&T sells wireless and satellite TV services to over 29 million users in Mexico and Latin America, The company’s revenue rose 27.2%, from $128.8 billion in 2013 to $163.8 billion in 2016. That gain was mainly because…