Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Verizon, United States Cellular and Cogent Communications

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – December 18, 2024 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses Verizon Communications Inc. VZ, United States Cellular Corp. USM and Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc. CCOI.Industry: WirelessLink: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2384391/3-wireless-stocks-likely-to-thrive-against-industry-oddsThe Zacks Wireless National industry appears to be mired in high capital expenditures for infrastructure upgrades, supply-chain disruptions amid the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war, Middle East tensions and high customer inventory levels. However, the industry is likely to benefit in the long run from an accelerated 5G rollout and increased fiber densification.Against this backdrop, Verizon Communications Inc., United States Cellular Corp. and Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc. are likely to gain from higher demand for scalable infrastructure for sustainable networks and innovations with a wide proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), wireless traction and solid broadband momentum.Industry DescriptionThe Zacks Wireless National industry comprises nationwide wireless firms that provide a comprehensive range of communication services and business solutions. These include wireless, wireline, local exchange, long-distance calls, data/broadband and Internet, video, managed networking, messaging, wholesale and cloud-based services to retail consumers.The firms within the industry also offer IP-based voice and data services, targeted advertising, television, streaming content, cable networks and publishing operations, multiprotocol label switching networking, fiber optic long-haul networks and hosting and communications systems to businesses and government agencies. In addition, the firms provide edge computing services that allow businesses to route application-specific traffic where required and are most effective — whether in the cloud, the network, or on their premises.What's Shaping the Future of the Wireless National Industry?Margin Pressure, Waning Legacy Services: Increased infrastructure spending for network upgrades has largely compromised short-term margins. Aggressive promotional expenses, lucrative discounts and the adoption of several low-priced service plans to attract and retain customers are eroding profits.A steady decline in linear TV subscribers and legacy services due to a challenging macroeconomic environment and high inflation adds to the margin woes. Consequently, the industry firms are increasingly seeking diversification from legacy telecom services to more business, enterprise and wholesale opportunities.Companies are making significant investments to upgrade their network and product portfolio, including considerable advances in software-defined, wide-area network capabilities and a new Cloud Core architecture, which is affecting their profitability.Thriving 5G & Fiber Ecosystem: Most industry participants are deploying the latest 4G LTE Advanced technologies to deliver higher peak data speeds and capacity, driven by customer-focused planning, disciplined engineering and investments for infrastructure upgrades. The companies are also expanding their fiber optic networks to support 4G LTE and 5G wireless standards.Further, leading firms within the industry have been deploying the C-Band spectrum to gain additional coverage. These mid-band airwaves offer significant bandwidth with better propagation characteristics for optimum coverage in rural and urban areas compared with mmWave. As the 5G ecosystem evolves, customers are expected to experience significant enhancements in coverage and speed.Inflated Raw Material Prices: High raw material prices due to the Middle East tensions, the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and the consequent economic sanctions against the Putin regime have affected the operation schedule of various firms. The demand-supply imbalance has crippled operations and largely affected profitability due to inflated equipment prices.Wireless operators face challenges due to the disruptive rise of over-the-top service providers in this dynamic industry. Price-sensitive competition for customer retention in the core business is expected to intensify in the coming days. Aggressive competition is likely to limit the ability to attract and retain customers, affecting operating and financial results.Network Simplification and Rationalization: The industry participants are realigning their wireless network toward a software-centric model to cater to increasing business demands and customer needs through remote facilities. The industry players focus on improving operational efficiencies through network simplification and rationalization, thereby boosting end-to-end provisioning time and driving standardization.Moreover, the firms are offering a variety of pathways for delivering services through a combination of network-based video transcoding, packaging, storage and compression technologies to offer new IP video formats, live TV, streaming services and home gateways to connected devices inside and outside the home.Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bleak ProspectsThe Zacks Wireless National industry is housed within the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #140, which places it in the bottom 44% of more than 250 Zacks industries.The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates grim prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.Before we present a few wireless national stocks that are well-positioned to outperform the market based on a strong earnings outlook, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock market performance and valuation picture.Industry Outperforms S&P 500, Lags SectorThe Zacks Wireless National industry has outperformed the S&P 500 composite but lagged the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector over the past year.The industry has jumped 33.8% over this period compared with the S&P 500 and the sector’s growth of 28.5% and 35.2%, respectively.Industry's Current ValuationOn the basis of the trailing 12-month enterprise value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA), which is the most appropriate multiple for valuing telecom stocks, the industry is currently trading at 8.7X compared with the S&P 500’s 18.87X. It is also below the sector’s trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA of 19.16X.Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 8.92X, as low as 5.4X and at the median of 7.26X.3 Wireless National Stocks to Keep a Close Eye OnVerizon: Based in New York, Verizon offers communication services in the form of local phone service, long-distance, wireless and data services. With one of the most efficient wireless networks in the United States, it deploys the latest technologies to deliver faster peak data speeds and capacity for customers, driven by customer-focused planning, disciplined engineering and constant strategic investment.Verizon is witnessing significant 5G adoption and fixed wireless broadband momentum with premium unlimited plans, leading to solid customer additions. The deployment of a cloud-native, container-based, virtualized architecture for higher flexibility, scalability and cost efficiency across its network is likely to benefit the company’s long-term growth.The stock has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 3% and gained 8.5% over the past year. Verizon carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.US Cellular: Headquartered in Chicago, IL, U.S. Cellular is the fourth largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States. The company provides a range of wireless products and services, and a high-quality network to increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations.U.S. Cellular is expanding its footprint while adopting unlimited plans to enhance average revenue per user. The company has a mid-band spectrum in almost all of its operating markets. It has a VGM Score of B. This Zacks Rank #3 stock has gained 55.9% over the past year. It delivered an earnings surprise of 40.5%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.Cogent: Headquartered in Washington, DC, Cogent is a Tier 1 Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers low-cost, high-speed Internet access, private network services and colocation center services with ultra-low latency data transmission. It addresses the dynamic needs of various small and medium-sized businesses, ISPs and other bandwidth-intensive organizations across the globe.The company offers state-of-the-art colocation data center services that provide constant power supply and backup generators, making it ideal for disaster recovery and data backup. Its data centers provide a conducive environment for coherent connectivity, security, availability and performance to its end customers.High-speed bandwidth and dedicated Internet access remain its highest priority, backed by a team of committed customer support and local provisioning teams to clinch maximum reliability. The stock has gained 4.9% in the past year and delivered an earnings surprise of 27.4%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.0 average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +44.9%, +48.4% and +55.2% per year.Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.See Stocks Free >>Media ContactZacks Investment Research800-767-3771 ext. 9339support@zacks.comhttps://www.zacks.comPast performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. 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Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report United States Cellular Corporation (USM): Free Stock Analysis Report Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ): Free Stock Analysis Report Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc. (CCOI): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks