AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) made public its earnings report for the first three months of 2013 this afternoon after the market closed. The company revealed that it had earned $0.64 per share in the first three months of the year on revenue of $31.04 billion. On today’s market, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) shares increased a fraction, finishing at $39 per share.
In anticipation of the release of this report, analysts were looking for earnings of 64 cents per share, on revenues of $31.7 billion. In the first three months of 2012, the company earned 60 cents per share on revenue of $31.8 billion. In the lead up to the announcement, whispered numbers suggested that AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) would beat the markets expectations by a small margin.
The major indicators for AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) so far in 2013 have been fears over growing competition in the mobile carrier market, as consolidation continues to be a trend. Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) and T-Mobile are both involved in acquisitions and merger deals at the moment. Another giant carrier could challenge AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) at the top of the market.
There have also been rumors of a deal that would see AT&T inc. (NYSE:T) and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) try to purchase Vodafone Group plc (LON:VOD). The huge British carrier’s acquisition could see problems in terms of regulatory oversight, but it could usher in a reign of cooperation between the two big US carriers if its comes to fruition.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has also decided to attack Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) in the first quarter, a move that took many in the industry by surprise and will surely result in some interesting news as the year continues. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is trying to enter the internet provider space, irking those like AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), who have traditionally held that market.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is in an interesting position at the head of a quickly changing industry. Competition is huge, and capital expenditure is necessary in huge amounts if the company wants to keep up. Analysts and investors will be watching for weaknesses in this earnings report.
So far in 2013, shares in AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) have gained more than 15 percent since the start of 2013, beating the S&P 500, but trailing major competitors like Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ), and Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) in share value gains in the first quarter of the year.
