Network upgrades keep sales growing

Article Excerpt

AT&T and Verizon keep making their wireless networks faster, which is fuelling demand for new services, like mobile video. Upgrades to their regular phone networks are also boosting sales of high-speed Internet access. Thanks to these strengths, both companies have plenty of room to raise their dividends. AT&T INC. $34 (New York symbol T; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 5.3 billion; Market cap: $180.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 5.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.att.com) is the largest wireless service provider in the U.S., with 109.5 million subscribers. AT&T continues to profit as its customers upgrade to smartphones, which generate higher revenue than cellphones. About 75% of AT&T’s users on long-term contracts now use smartphones, and it feels this could rise to 90% in the next few years. The company is also profiting from rising demand for its U-verse package, which uses high-speed fibre optic technology to deliver phone, Internet and TV services. It now has…