El interés en corto de Charter Communications da a los inversores una idea del grado en que los inversores apuestan por la caída de las acciones de Charter Communications. Los datos de interés en corto se actualizan cada dos semanas.

Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR) Bolsa, Informe de interés en corto

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS INC-A

Charter Communications

Charter is the product of the 2016 merger of three cable companies, each with a decades-long history in the business: Legacy Charter, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. The firm now holds networks capable of providing television, internet access, and phone services to roughly 57 million US homes and businesses, around 35% of the country. Across this footprint, Charter serves 28 million residential and 2 million commercial customer accounts under the Spectrum brand, making it the second-largest US cable company behind Comcast. The firm also owns, in whole or in part, sports and news networks, including Spectrum SportsNet (long-term local rights to Los Angeles Lakers games), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles Dodgers), SportsNet New York (New York Mets), and Spectrum News NY1.

Charter Communications, Inc. - Class A Common Stock

Charter Communications Inc

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Analyst Ratings

Trading Ideas

CHTR

Live On CNBC, Sarat Sethi Announces Sold Charter Communications

NSFW content platform OnlyFans is seeking <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/05/45583803/onlyfans-owner-in-talks-to-sell-company-for-8-billion-amid-soaring-revenue-and-investor-interest-report">a tantalizing $8 billion price tag</a>. 
Leonid Radvinsky&#8216;s Fenix International, the UK-based parent company, is chatting with a consortium led by U.S. investment firm Forest Road Company. The group includes Disney and TikTok alum Kevin Mayer, because apparently, the natural career progression from Mickey Mouse to "mature content" is a short — and profitable — one.
OnlyFans boasts over 4 million content creators and 305 million fan accounts, with creators keeping 80% of what they earn. The other 20% goes to running the platform — and, you know, fueling those billion-dollar payouts.
While the company insists it's more than adult content — think celebs like Iggy Azalea — the reality is it's still very much making bank on letting the internet showcase its most unfiltered self.
Also for sale: Paramount Group, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PGRE#NYSE">PGRE</a>). The office space landlord announced it's exploring a potential sale. Whether a lucrative deal can "maximize shareholder value" remains to be seen. CEO Albert Behler announced that Bank of America Securities and Latham &amp; Watkins are tasked with running the process.
Meanwhile, there&#8217;s a c-suite shuffle going on with Ermelinda Berberi stepping up as the new CFO. This comes after the company revealed some eyebrow-raising fiduciary flubs: more than $4 million in "previously undisclosed" payments went toward CEO Behler's personal expenses — including $900,000 for his accountants and $3 million for flights on a private jet company he partially owns. 
Following these disclosures, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/c-suite/major-office-landlord-is-exploring-a-sale-of-the-company-794701e3">reported</a> that some of Paramount&#8217;s top executives have exited the firm.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Updates From The Block</h2>
A trio of telecom deals grabbed this week&#8217;s headlines. The most recent transaction involves AT&amp;T (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/T#NYSE">T</a>), which is looking to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45553442/lumen-technologies-stock-surges-on-fiber-business-sale-to-att">spend $5.75 billion in cash</a>. 
The target is Lumen Technologies' (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUMN#NYSE">LUMN</a>) consumer fiber business.
U.S. telecom dealmaking, it seems, is sizzling. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/05/45502573/charters-proposed-cox-deal-could-challenge-comcast-surpass-att-in-broadband">On Monday, news broke</a> of the Charter Communications, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) merger with Cox Communications. Then, the FCC approved Verizon's $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications.
These takeovers come as many regional and legacy telecom providers struggle to meet infrastructure investment demands. Larger players seize the opportunity to purchase assets at attractive valuations, consolidate operations, and eliminate redundancies.
For AT&amp;T, the move reinforces its strategy of unifying its wireless and fiber offerings to meet increasing consumer demand for high-tech connectivity. 
Lumen, meanwhile, is pivoting away from consumer services to concentrate on enterprise clients and the infrastructure needed to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41429423/lumen-and-meta-join-forces-to-boost-ai-with-flexible-on-demand-network-solutions">support artificial intelligence initiatives</a>. 
The trend isn&#8217;t exclusive to the U.S. 
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Off The Block</h2>
Spanish telecom company Telefonica <a href="https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/millicom-to-acquire-telef%C3%B3nicas-uruguayan-unit-for-440m/">agreed</a> to sell its Uruguayan unit for $440 million to Luxembourg-based Millicom International.
Millicom, which operates as Tigo in the region, will gain 100% ownership of the unit and sees strategic infrastructure benefits for its nearby operations in Paraguay and Bolivia. The deal follows Millicom's earlier acquisitions of Telefónica's mobile units in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.
For Telefónica, the Uruguay sale is part of a broader divestment strategy aimed at reducing debt and limiting exposure to currency volatility. Since 2019, the Spanish telecom giant has been shedding assets across Latin America to refocus on its core European markets, including Spain, the UK, and Germany. 
Recent moves include the sale of its Peruvian, Argentinian, and potentially Chilean and Mexican units.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bankruptcy Block</h2>
Semiconductor supplier Wolfspeed (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOLF#NYSE">WOLF</a>) is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45534429/wolfspeed-reportedly-prepping-bankruptcy-filing-after-snubbing-debt-deals-buckling-under-6-5-billion-burden-stock-plunges-over-60">preparing to file for Chapter 11</a> bankruptcy within weeks, according <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/wolfspeed-prepares-to-file-for-bankruptcy-within-weeks-7bd98040">to</a> The Wall Street Journal. The company has been struggling with weak demand in the industrial and automotive sectors, as well as uncertainty from tariffs. Wolfspeed&#8217;s stock plunged over 57% in after-hours trading on Tuesday following the news. The bankruptcy filing is expected to have backing from a majority of its creditors, after the company rejected several out-of-court restructuring proposals.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Notes From The Block: Back To Telecom</h2>
According <a href="https://www.bain.com/insights/telecom-m-and-a-here-are-the-latest-deal-trends-worldwide-interactive/">to</a> Bain Capital, global telecom M&amp;A took a breather in Q1 2025. Deal value dropped to $16 billion—down from $22 billion a year ago—suggesting that telcos may be suffering from a bit of a financial hangover after a strong 2024. The Americas still brought the most party favors, accounting for 64% of global activity.
The real stars of the quarter? Divestments. Crown Castle offloaded its U.S. fiber and small cells businesses for $4.25 billion, and Telia <a href="https://news.bloombergtax.com/mergers-and-acquisitions/telia-sells-tv-unit-for-614-million-to-schibsted-media">jettisoned</a> its TV and media unit.
Meanwhile, those big-scale deals that were all the rage last year only made up 14% of Q1's deal value—down from 47% a year ago. Still, they've held strong over the long haul, accounting for the biggest share (39%) of deal value over the past five years, followed by infrastructure divestments at 32%.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/asset-sales/25/05/45474961/deal-dispatch-starbucks-china-vcs-nfl-stake-sale">For last week&#8217;s edition of Deal Dispatch, click here</a>.
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Image created with a photo from Shutterstock.

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Deal Dispatch: OnlyFans To Sell For $8 Billion? Telecom M&A Heats Up, Wolfspeed On Road To Bankruptcy

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) Elon Musk amplified a cost-cutting move by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Wednesday, stating that the U.S. government may be wasting $100 million a year on inactive phone lines.
What Happened: In a post on X, formerly Twitter, DOGE's official handle revealed that an internal audit found 198 out of 1,048 phone lines at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) were either unused or duplicated — roughly 19% of the total.
DOGE said canceling the lines took one hour and would save around $100,000 annually.
"Since OPM is ~0.1% of the federal government, this suggests that ~$100M/yr is wasted on unused lines," the agency wrote.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45534314/elon-musk-just-got-grilled-on-doge-spending-hits-back-with-were-not-kings-here">Elon Musk Just Got Grilled On DOGE Spending, Hits Back With &#8216;We&#8217;re Not Kings Here&#8217;</a>
Musk, who helped lead DOGE's early initiatives but announced <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45381782/elon-musk-vows-to-spend-less-time-in-white-house-doge-office-investors-warn-the-damage-is-done-and-teslas-troubles-are-far-from-over">plans to reduce</a> his involvement during <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/04/44937440/tesla-q1-misses-estimates-as-tariff-pressures-weigh-on-outlook-lower-cost-evs-still-on-track">Tesla's first-quarter earnings call</a>, reposted the update and added:
"Government is wasting about $100 million per year on unused phone lines!"
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Government is wasting about $100 million per year on unused phone lines! <a href="https://t.co/UZQflu9jhl">https://t.co/UZQflu9jhl</a>
&mdash; Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1925367674894270940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
This latest move by DOGE could impact leading telecom providers that deliver services to both residential and business customers.
Only 2% of U.S. adults use landlines exclusively, according to a 2023 <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/23/landline-telephone-holdouts/">report</a> by The Washington Post. In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission scrapped requirements that made it compulsory to run copper wires to each home. The report noted that Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>) is the dominant landline player in the Northeast of the country.
Photo courtesy: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Elon Musk Wants The US Government To Hang Up The Phone: 'Government Is Wasting About $100 Million Per Year On Unused Phone Lines'

BofA Securities analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich maintained a Buy rating on Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) last Friday, with a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CHTR/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">price target of $450</a>.
Ehrlich noted that Charter had announced an agreement to merge with privately held Cox Communications for an equity purchase consideration of $21.9 billion and the assumption of $12.6 billion in Cox debt and lease obligations.
The $21.9 billion equity consideration is comprised of $11.9 billion in common units, $6 billion notional value in preferred units, and $4 billion in cash, the analyst said.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45465922/charter-seals-34-5-billion-cox-merger-deal-creating-powerhouse-to-battle-streaming-wireless-rivals" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charter Seals $34.5 Billion Cox Merger Deal, Creating Powerhouse To Battle Streaming, Wireless Rivals</a>
The combined entity's pro forma economic ownership will be 67% Charter, 23% Cox, and 10% Advance/Newhouse, according to Ehrlich. She views the $33.9 billion transaction as value accretive, noting it implies a ~6.44x EV/2025E EBITDA multiple before synergies. With $500 million in synergies—likely a conservative estimate—the multiple drops below 6x by year three.
Ehrlich said the deal will expand Charter's reach to 69.5 million passings, 37.6 million customers, and 35.9 million broadband subscribers. It also allows Charter to apply its pricing and packaging strategy across an additional 12.3 million passings and pursue mid-sized commercial and enterprise markets more aggressively.
As per Ehrlich, the deal should not present significant regulatory hurdles and should likely close in mid-2026. The companies do not have overlapping footprints, and 69.5 million passings is only ~5 million larger than Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>) (64 million) and also not significantly larger than AT&amp;T Inc&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/T#NYSE">T</a>) (and AT&amp;T also offers nationwide wireless).
Time Warner Cable&nbsp;/Charter deal in 2015/2016 received regulatory approval in less than 12 months, and the environment has become significantly more competitive.
Ehrlich noted that Comcast is unlikely to present a competing bid due to a likely more difficult regulatory path.
The analyst expects the Cox merger to boost revenue growth across broadband, video, and mobile, improve margins, increase free cash flow, and reduce leverage. While integration may pose challenges, Charter's strong execution history and improving broadband and video trends should support EBITDA growth.
CHTR Price Action: At the last check on Monday, Charter Communications stock was down 2.1% to $418.27.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/04/45047933/charters-strong-network-new-bundles-drive-analyst-optimism-for-long-term-growth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charter&#8217;s Strong Network, New Bundles Drive Analyst Optimism For Long-Term Growth</a></li>
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Photo: Shutterstock

Price Target

Reiteration

Charter's Proposed Cox Deal Could Challenge Comcast, Surpass AT&T In Broadband

Raymond James analyst Frank Louthan upgrades Charter Communications (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) from Underperform to Market Perform.

Upgrades

Raymond James Upgrades Charter Communications to Market Perform

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades, downgrades and initiations, please see our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">analyst ratings page</a>.
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>JP Morgan analyst Puneet Jain upgraded the rating for CI&amp;T Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CINT#NYSE">CINT</a>) from Neutral to Overweight and announced a $7 price target. CI&amp;T shares closed at $6.10 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/cint/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Barclays analyst Seth Sigman upgraded Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WSM#NYSE">WSM</a>) from Underweight to Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $131 to $166. Williams-Sonoma shares closed at $173.84 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/wsm/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Loop Capital analyst Alan Gould upgraded the rating for Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) from Hold to Buy and raised the price target from $430 to $510. Charter Communications shares closed at $427.25 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/chtr/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>UBS analyst Thomas Wadewitz upgraded United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UAL#NASDAQ">UAL</a>) from Neutral to Buy and raised the price target from $67 to $105. United Airlines shares closed at $77.93 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ual/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Piper Sandler analyst Charles Neivert upgraded the rating for AdvanSix Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ASIX#NYSE">ASIX</a>) from Neutral to Overweight and raised the price target from $26 to $32. AdvanSix shares closed at $23.48 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/asix/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
</ul>
Considering buying UAL stock? Here&#8217;s what analysts think: 
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Pre-Market Outlook

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Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades and downgrades, please see our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">analyst ratings page</a>.
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Needham raised ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACAD#NASDAQ">ACAD</a>) price target from $27 to $30. Needham analyst Ami Fadia maintained a Buy rating. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals shares closed at $22.26 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ACAD/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Jefferies cut the price target for BP p.l.c. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BP#NYSE">BP</a>) from $40.8 to $29. Jefferies analyst Giacomo Romeo downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold. BP shares closed at $29.76 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/BP/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>JP Morgan boosted Marqeta, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MQ#NASDAQ">MQ</a>) price target from $5 to $6. JP Morgan analyst Tien-Tsin Huang upgraded the stock from Neutral to Overweight. Marqeta shares closed at $5.04 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MQ/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>JP Morgan raised the price target for Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) from $1,150 to $1,220. JP Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth downgraded the stock from Overweight to Neutral. Netflix shares closed at $1,191.53 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NFLX/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Barclays raised the price target for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WSM#NYSE">WSM</a>) from $131 to $166. Barclays analyst Seth Sigman upgraded the stock from Underweight to Equal-Weight. Williams-Sonoma shares closed at $173.84 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/WSM/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>HC Wainwright &amp; Co. raised ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACAD#NASDAQ">ACAD</a>) price target from $27 to $32. HC Wainwright &amp; Co. analyst Andrew Fein maintained a Buy rating. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals shares settled at $22.26 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ACAD/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Loop Capital raised Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) price target from $430 to $510. Loop Capital analyst Alan Gould upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy. Charter Communications shares closed at $427.25 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CHTR/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Citigroup cut Helmerich &amp; Payne, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HP#NYSE">HP</a>) price target from $25 to $19. Citigroup analyst Scott Gruber downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral. Helmerich &amp; Payne shares closed at $17.80 on Friday.  <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/HP/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>UBS increased the price target for Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DAL#NYSE">DAL</a>) from $46 to $66. UBS analyst Thomas Wadewitz upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy. Delta Air Lines shares settled at $50.92 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DAL/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>UBS raised Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADM#NYSE">ADM</a>) price target from $55 to $60. UBS analyst Manav Gupta upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy. Archer-Daniels-Midland shares closed at $50.13 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/adm/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
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Considering buying NFLX stock? Here&#8217;s what analysts think: 
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Netflix To $1,220? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Monday

Loop Capital analyst Alan Gould upgrades Charter Communications (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) from Hold to Buy and raises the price target from $430 to $510.

Loop Capital Upgrades Charter Communications to Buy, Raises Price Target to $510

<h1 class="wp-block-heading">New On The Block</h1>
Starbucks (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBUX#NASDAQ">SBUX</a>) is brewing up some big decisions for its China business, including a potential stake deal that could <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45428678/starbucks-explores-stake-sale-in-china-business-valued-at-billions-amid-sluggish-growth-intense-competition-from-likes-of-luckin-coffee-report">fetch several billion dollars</a>. 
The coffee giant has been quietly chatting with tech firms and private equity players, hoping someone might want a sip of its 7,750-store China portfolio. 
But with local rival Luckin Coffee chugging ahead — pulling in $1.2 billion last quarter versus Starbucks' $740 million — the cold truth is the Seattle-based company is having trouble navigating the market.
And it&#8217;s not alone. McDonald's and Yum! Brands both sold <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/restaurants/25/05/45360322/restaurant-stocks-rebound-as-us-china-tariff-truce-offers-sector-relief-whats-going-on" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stakes in their China operations</a>.
As for Starbucks, the franchise&#8217;s stock price has cooled faster than an unattended latte. It&#8217;s down 25% since February. Meanwhile, Wall Street is not impressed, as Starbucks missed earnings estimates and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/45104438/starbucks-stock-tumbles-on-q2-earnings-ceo-says-progress-is-happening-below-the-surface">reported a global sales dip</a>. 
Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/05/45470155/consumer-sentiment-crashes-to-5-year-lows-as-inflation-fears-reach-1981-levels">Consumer Sentiment Crashes To 5-Year Lows As Inflation Fears Reach 1981 Levels</a>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Updates From The Block</h1>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Charter Communications (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45465922/charter-seals-34-5-billion-cox-merger-deal-creating-powerhouse-to-battle-streaming-wireless-rivals">agreed to acquire</a> Cox Communications from Cox Enterprises for about $34.5 billion. Axios first reported the deal. Charter seeks to create the largest U.S. cable TV and broadband provider by subscribers, surpassing Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>). It will also take on significant debt — about $12 billion worth. The combined entity will be called Cox Communications and will retain the Spectrum brand for consumers. Simultaneously, Charter will complete its all-stock acquisition of Liberty Media, announced last fall.</li>
</ul>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Venture capitalists are catching a piece of the San Francisco 49ers. The football franchise is divesting a 6% stake at an $8.5 billion valuation. The buy side includes Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures; Byron Deeter of Bessemer Venture Partners and Will Griffith of Iconiq. The deal will require approval at one of the NFL's owners meetings, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-15/nfl-s-49ers-to-sell-stakes-at-record-8-5-billion-valuation?srnd=phx-deals&amp;sref=TBDibEcD">per</a> Bloomberg.</li>
</ul>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Adam Waterous is turning up the heat in the oil sands drama. The Canadian oil baron&#8217;s Strathcona Resources plans to take a C$6 billion ($4 billion) bid for MEG Energy straight to shareholders, according <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-16/waterous-strathcona-to-make-takeover-bid-for-meg-energy?srnd=phx-deals&amp;sref=TBDibEcD">to</a> Bloomberg. Previously, MEG's board gave Waterous the cold shoulder. The offer, about C$23.27 per share, will hit the official paperwork trail within two weeks. If successful, it would be another feather in Waterous' hard hat after years of deal-making. On the same day, Strathcona also announced it's unloading its Montney shale assets for C$2.8 billion. </li>
</ul>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DKS#NYSE">DKS</a>) is lacing up to buy Foot Locker (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FL#NYSE">FL</a>) for about $2.4 billion. It's the second major footwear <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/05/45338051/skechers-set-to-go-private-amidst-tariff-drama-hopes-new-partnership-will-enable-the-companys-long-term-growth">deal this month</a>, hot on the heels of 3G Capital's $9 billion Skechers buy. While Foot Locker brings 2,400 smaller, urban stores to the table, Dick's offers around 800 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45435748/dicks-sporting-goods-to-acquire-foot-locker-at-66-premium">suburban big-box behemoths</a>. </li>
</ul>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Off The Block</h1>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOOD#NASDAQ">HOOD</a>) wants to acquire Canadian crypto trading platform WonderFi Technologies in an all-cash deal valued at approximately C$250 million ($178.9 million). The deal will be executed through a statutory plan of arrangement, with Robinhood acquiring all outstanding WonderFi common shares. WonderFi's largest shareholder, Mogo, which owns roughly 82 million shares, has already signed a voting support agreement in favor of the transaction. Other directors, officers and shareholders holding about 28% of WonderFi's outstanding shares have also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/05/45390595/robinhood-shares-jump-nearly-10-following-acquisition-deal-for-wonderfi-whats-going-on">agreed to support the deal</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PAAS#NYSE">PAAS</a>) and MAG Silver Corp. (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAG#AMEX">MAG</a>) disclosed a definitive deal to acquire MAG Silver&#8216;s shares through a plan of arrangement. MAG shareholders will receive approximately $2.1 billion in a mix of $500 million cash and 0.755 PAAS <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/25/05/45347011/pan-american-acquires-mag-for-2-1-billion">shares per MAG share</a>. </li>
</ul>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Bankruptcy Block</h1>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Consider it a tough prescription for survival: Rite Aid will have less retail square footage, but hopefully fewer financial headaches now that it filed for bankruptcy. About 115 stores will close as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 plan. After <a href="https://restructuring.ra.kroll.com/RiteAid2025/Home-Index">filing</a> earlier this month, the pharmacy chain initially revealed 47 store closures, then added 68 more in a May 9 court filing. That brings the total to nearly 10% of its 1,240 locations, spread across 10 of the 15 states it operates in. </li>
<li>Bayer AG is making another attempt to weed out its legal troubles over Roundup, the popular herbicide linked to cancer in thousands of lawsuits. The company is trying to settle many cases in Missouri state court, but is also prepping a backup plan: putting Monsanto — the U.S. maker of Roundup — into bankruptcy. According <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bayer-seeks-new-roundup-settlement-while-exploring-monsanto-bankruptcy-35bf28de">to</a> the Wall Street Journal, Bayer has brought in restructuring pros from Latham &amp; Watkins and AlixPartners to explore options. Bayer bought Monsanto in 2018 for $63 billion. A San Francisco jury quickly found Monsanto liable for a man's cancer, setting off years of litigation. Bayer insists Roundup is safe, citing EPA reviews, but the lawsuits have taken their tollv—vso much so that the company has warned it might stop making the product altogether. Its stock has dropped about 75% since the Monsanto deal.</li>
</ul>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Li-Cycle Holdings Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LICY#NYSE">LICY</a>) is filing for creditor protection in Canada and Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the U.S. It's now planning a court-supervised garage sale for its assets. One potential buyer? Mining giant Glencore ADR (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLNCY#OTC">GLNCY</a>), which has agreed to bid at least $40 million for some of the Lithium-ion battery recycler&#8217;s assets.</li>
</ul>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">On The Deal Hunt</h1>
Today, Benzinga spotlights Capstone Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAPS#NASDAQ">CAPS</a>). The company&#8217;s shares were up 46.34% at last check Friday, trading at about $2.40.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44709544/exclusive-capstone-eyes-100-million-goal-with-southeast-expansion-targets-1500-acquisition-opportunities">With 1,500 potential acquisitions</a> on its radar and housing demand holding up, Capstone's clearly not done building — both literally and financially.
The Illinois-based building materials distributor reaffirmed its 2025 goals of $100 million in revenue and $10 million in adjusted EBITDA, fueled by steady growth and M&amp;A shopping sprees. 
CEO Matthew Lipman says the company is on track to double in size, snapping up deals at 4–6x EBITDA with up to 45% paid in non-cash consideration.
Capstone's Instone unit held strong and continues to push proprietary products with names such as Toro and Pangea.
The company also locked in a flexible equity credit line, but promises to only use it for deals i<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45468192/capstones-big-swing-on-acquisitions-sends-shares-soaring">mmediately accretive to earnings</a>.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45327812/deal-dispatch-nestle-coinbase-ma-wave-weight-watchers-bust">For last week's edition of Deal Dispatch, click here</a>.

Asset Sales

CAPS

GLNCY

HOOD

LICY

PAAS

SBUX

Deal Dispatch: Starbucks Eyes China Sell-Off, Li-Cycle Powers Down, VCs Tackle 49ers Stake

Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>)&nbsp;and Cox Communications on Friday announced an agreement to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/05/n45463953/charter-communications-and-cox-communications-announce-definitive-agreement-to-combine-companies" rel="noreferrer noopener">combine their businesses</a> in a transaction that will create an industry leader in mobile and broadband communications services, seamless video entertainment, and high-quality customer service.
The proposed transaction valued Cox Communications at an enterprise value of approximately&nbsp;$34.5 billion, comprising &nbsp;$21.9 billion&nbsp;of equity and&nbsp;$12.6 billion&nbsp;of net debt and other obligations.
Charter will acquire Cox Communications&#8217; commercial fiber, managed IT, and cloud businesses, and Cox Enterprises will contribute Cox Communications&#8217; residential cable business to Charter Holdings, an existing subsidiary partnership of Charter.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/04/45047933/charters-strong-network-new-bundles-drive-analyst-optimism-for-long-term-growth" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charter&#8217;s Strong Network, New Bundles Drive Analyst Optimism For Long-Term Growth</a>
Cox Enterprises will receive $4 billion&nbsp;in cash, $6 billion&nbsp;notional convertible preferred units in Charter&#8217;s existing partnership, and approximately 33.6 million common units in Charter&#8217;s existing partnership, with an implied value of&nbsp;$11.9 billion, which are exchangeable for Charter common shares.
Cox Enterprises will own approximately 23% of the combined entity&#8217;s fully diluted shares outstanding. The combined entity will assume Cox&#8217;s roughly&nbsp;$12 billion&nbsp;outstanding debt.
The combined company will change its name to Cox Communications within a year of the closing. Spectrum will become the consumer-facing brand within the communities Cox serves.
The combined company will remain headquartered in&nbsp;Stamford, CT, and will maintain a significant presence on Cox&#8217;s&nbsp;Atlanta, GA, campus following the closing.
Charter CEO Chris Winfrey will continue in his current role as CEO and board member. Cox Enterprises Chair and CEO Alex Taylor will join the board as Chair.
Cox will have the right to nominate an additional two board members to Charter&#8217;s 13-member board. Advance/Newhouse, another storied cable innovator that contributed its operations to Charter&#8217;s partnership in 2016, will retain its two board nominees.
Liberty Broadband will cease to be a direct shareholder in Charter and will no longer designate directors for election to the Charter Board. Accordingly, the three current Liberty Broadband nominees on Charter&#8217;s board will resign at closing. Liberty Broadband shareholders will receive direct interests in Charter as a result of the Liberty Broadband merger.
In 2024, Charter&nbsp;agreed&nbsp;to buy&nbsp;Liberty Broadband Corp&nbsp;in an all-stock transaction in which Liberty Media&nbsp;Chair&nbsp;John Malone held significant interests. Malone remains the Chair of Liberty Broadband.
Charter stock surged over 20% year-to-date.
Charter had reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/04/45007666/charter-loses-internet-and-tv-subscribers-but-beats-rivals-with-strong-mobile-line-gains" rel="noreferrer noopener">fiscal first-quarter</a> revenue growth of 0.4% to $13.74 billion, beating the&nbsp;analyst consensus estimate of $13.68 billion. EPS of $8.42 missed the&nbsp;analyst consensus estimate&nbsp;of $8.67.
Charter lost 60,000 internet customers, including approximately 9,000 customer disconnects related to the wildfires in California in January, compared to a decline of 72,000 during the first quarter of 2024.
Charter held $796 million in cash and equivalents as of March 31.
Cable companies are grappling with rivalry from wireless giants like&nbsp;AT&amp;T Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/T#NYSE">T</a>) and&nbsp;T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMUS#NASDAQ">TMUS</a>), which are snatching their broadband customers with attractive internet offerings. Meanwhile, streaming companies like&nbsp;Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) have disrupted the traditional pay-TV business.
CHTR&nbsp;Price Action: At the last check on Friday, Charter Communications stock was up 4.63% to $439 the premarket.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/05/45327859/warner-bros-streaming-growth-cost-cuts-highlighted-analysts-stay-cautious" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warner Bros&#8217; Streaming Growth, Cost Cuts Highlighted, Analysts Stay Cautious</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by Piotr Swat via Shutterstock

Movers

Charter Seals $34.5 Billion Cox Merger Deal, Creating Powerhouse To Battle Streaming, Wireless Rivals

WIIM

Charter Communication shares are trading higher after the company announced it entered into an agreement to merge with Cox Communications.

The Transaction Will Create an Industry Leader in Communications, Seamless Entertainment and High-Quality Customer Service that Will Benefit Employees, Customers,&nbsp;Local Communities and Shareholders
STAMFORD, Conn. and ATLANTA, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --&nbsp;Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) (along with its subsidiaries, "Charter") and Cox Communications ("Cox") today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine their businesses in a transformative transaction that will create an industry leader in mobile and broadband communications services, seamless video entertainment, and high-quality customer service delivering powerful benefits for American employees, customers, communities, and shareholders. The proposed transaction values Cox Communications at an enterprise value of approximately $34.5 billion1 based on, and at parity with, Charter's recent enterprise value to 2025 estimated Adjusted EBITDA trading multiple.

Charter Communications And Cox Communications To Merge In $34.5B Deal

<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-16/charter-is-in-talks-to-combine-with-rival-cox-communications?embedded-checkout=true" title="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-16/charter-is-in-talks-to-combine-with-rival-cox-communications?embedded-checkout=true">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-16/charter-is-in-talks-to-combine-with-rival-cox-communications?embedded-checkout=true</a>

Rumors

Bloomberg Reported Earlier, Charter Is In Talks To Merge With Cox Communications

As legendary investor Warren Buffett prepares to step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45184410/warren-buffett-to-step-down-as-berkshire-hathaway-ceo-by-end-of-year-asks-board-to-confirm-greg-abel-as-successor">the end of 2025</a>, a 13F filing released on Thursday reveals how his team reshaped the firm's portfolio in the first quarter.
What Happened: The 13F <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1067983/000095012325005701/0000950123-25-005701-index.html">filing </a>from Berkshire Hathaway Inc., showing the firm&#8217;s holdings as of March 31, reveals several stocks positioned exited completely, with no new stock purchases in the quarter.
Buffett and team exited positions in financial companies Citigroup (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/C#NYSE">C</a>) and Nu Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NU#NYSE">NU</a>) completely in the quarter.
The exit of Nu Holdings stock in the quarter could be a significant storyline as the investment gave Buffett exposure to digital banks in Latin America and also gave the famous Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) skeptic <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/05/27208096/warren-buffett-now-owns-bitcoin-heres-how-the-oracle-of-omaha-got-exposure-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exposure to Bitcoin.</a> Nu holds the leading cryptocurrency on its balance sheet and has several crypto platforms for investors.
Here are the top decreased <a href="https://13f.info/manager/0001067983-berkshire-hathaway-inc">stakes </a>by Berkshire Hathaway in the first quarter by percentage:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Citigroup: -100%</li>
<li>Nu Holdings: -100%</li>
<li>Formula One (NASDA:FWONK): -48%</li>
<li>T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMUS#NASDAQ">TMUS</a>): -11%</li>
<li>Bank of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>): -7%</li>
<li>Capital One Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>): -4%</li>
<li>DaVita Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DVA#NYSE">DVA</a>): -3%</li>
<li>Charter Communications (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>): declined by less than 1%</li>
</ul>
Read Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/25/05/45208955/warren-buffetts-giant-berkshire-portfolio-top-10-includes-banks-oil-and-apple"> Warren Buffett&#8217;s Giant Berkshire Portfolio: Top 10 Includes Banks, Oil, And Apple</a>
Top Additions: While Berkshire Hathaway did not make new stock purchases in the quarter, the conglomerate added to several existing positions,<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/11/41993666/warren-buffetts-berkshire-hathaway-slashes-apple-bofa-holdings-adds-dominos-pizza-in-q3"> including recent holdings</a> like Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/POOL#NASDAQ">POOL</a>) and Constellation Brands (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STZ#NYSE">STZ</a>).
Here are the top additions in the first quarter by percentage:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Pool Corporation: +145%</li>
<li>Constellation Brands: +114%</li>
<li>Heico Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HEI#NYSE">HEI</a>): +11%</li>
<li>Domino's Pizza (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DPZ#NASDAQ">DPZ</a>): +10%</li>
<li>Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SIRI#NASDAQ">SIRI</a>): +2%</li>
<li>Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OXY#NYSE">OXY</a>): increased by less than 1%</li>
<li>VeriSign Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VRSN#NASDAQ">VRSN</a>): increase by less than 1%</li>
</ul>
Berkshire's top five holdings remain the same in Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), American Express (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>), Coca-Cola Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KO#NYSE">KO</a>), Bank of America and Chevron (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>). Of the five, only Bank of America was changed in the quarter with the decrease.
Read Next: 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45232692/if-you-invested-1000-in-berkshire-hathaway-stock-when-warren-buffett-did-heres-how-much-youd-have-now">If You Invested $1,000 In Berkshire Hathaway Stock When Warren Buffett Did, Here&#8217;s How Much You&#8217;d Have Now</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Management

$BTC

AAPL

FWONK

POOL

SIRI

VRSN

Warren Buffett Ditches Bitcoin-Linked Nu Holdings, Adds To Constellation Brands, Domino's Pizza, Pool Corp Stakes

Charter Communications's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NYSE">CHTR</a>) short percent of float has fallen 8.18% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 11.26 million shares sold short, which is 11.78% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 7.23 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Charter Communications Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1746820850_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Charter Communications has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Charter Communications's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Charter Communications's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 9.05%, which means the company has more short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

How Is The Market Feeling About Charter Communications?

Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi upgraded T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMUS#NASDAQ">TMUS</a>) from Sector Perform to Sector Outperform and raised the price target <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TMUS/analyst-ratings">to $277.50 from $275</a>. The stock traded higher Wednesday following the call.
Despite earlier fears of a slowdown in the U.S. wireless market, recent earnings from mobile operators and cable companies show industry loading remains healthy, with an annual run rate of about 8.5 million.
Yaghi called last week's 10% drop in T-Mobile shares an overreaction. He emphasized that T-Mobile's share of phone net adds is consistent with its four-year average, indicating steady performance.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/45018003/t-mobile-slides-after-q1-but-analyst-still-bullish-on-broadband-growth-and-wireless-strength" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">T-Mobile Beats Estimates, But Customer Growth Leaves Investors Wanting More, Says Analyst</a>
The analyst downgraded the stock a few months back due to valuations, but the scenario is different today. Valuations are supportive; hence, the stock was upgraded with a slightly increased target due to higher estimates.
Earlier this year, T-Mobile peers commented that the US wireless market was seeing a slow start. Yaghi noted that the US market should see phone subscriber growth of 1.5-2% annually in 2025.
T-Mobile&#8217;s share of phone net adds was 35% in the first quarter of 2025. That&#8217;s the same as the first quarter of 2024 and in line with the four-year average of 36% for the first quarter. This shows consistency in loading within a very dynamic market.
The analyst expects loading at T-Mobile US to accelerate as the year progresses, similar to normal seasonality. The company&#8217;s financial guidance actually provides a great hint that management expects strong loading in the second half.
In the first quarter, core adjusted EBITDA growth was 8%, while guidance implies that growth will decelerate. Some of that deceleration in growth is due to increased investments in AI and customer service, but also, very importantly, higher loading costs to support the company&#8217;s highest-ever annual postpaid guide. In summary, Yaghi noted that the path for growth in front of T-Mobile US has not diminished.
Yaghi projected second-quarter of $20.81 billion and EPS of $2.63.
Price Action: T-Mobile US stock is up 2.19% to $246.88 at last check Wednesday.
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T-Mobile Stock Gets A Lift As Subscriber Growth Holds Steady

New Plan Latest Addition to Company's Comprehensive Benefits, Including Minimum $20 Starting Wage, Market-Leading Retirement Contributions and Tuition-Free Education
STAMFORD, Conn., April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --&nbsp;Charter Communications (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) today announced the launch of an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), designed to encourage and reward employee tenure and empower its workforce to share in the Company's success. Eligible employees will now have the opportunity to purchase Charter stock through payroll deductions and will receive matching Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) based on their years with Charter.

Charter Communications Launches ESPP, Offering Employees Stock Purchase And Tenure-Based RSUs

Oppenheimer analyst Timothy Horan rated Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CHTR/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">as Perform on</a> Monday.
Charter is the nation&#8217;s second-largest cable provider. In terms of network quality and speeds, the company holds a major competitive advantage over wireline providers.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/04/45007666/charter-loses-internet-and-tv-subscribers-but-beats-rivals-with-strong-mobile-line-gains" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charter Loses Internet And TV Subscribers But Beats Rivals With Strong Mobile Line Gains</a>
Horan noted its ability to generate consistently high cash flow from its businesses, which gives it added flexibility to adapt to industry trends despite its large size.
Charter&#8217;s revenue grew 0.4% versus Horan&#8217;s flat estimate, a $70 million beat. EBITDA was up 5% on a 180bps expansion in EBITDA margins to 42%, an 80bps beat, but it would have been in line with normalizing for a one-time $75 million other expense benefit.
Subscriber losses have improved off a very difficult 2024 due to the expiration of ACP and hurricanes Milton and Helene, and now improved bundled offers.
Its video offering now has OTT packages worth $80 per month bundled in and attractive promotional wireless/broadband prices which began in the fourth-quarter of 2024.
The analyst noted this as a negative for the overall industry, but price increases on the base continue to grow, and they are upselling many additional services.
The company&#8217;s introductory promotional pricing for broadband is $40 per month, but Horan estimates its base is paying $80 per month and can move to a wireless carrier for permanent pricing of $50. Positively, using a crude metric of revenue per residential broadband subscriber, Charter is at $130 per month versus Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>) at $170. Both are at $70 for broadband, reported ARPU.
Charter lost 55K broadband subscribers versus -72K in the first quarter of 2024, and Horan noted a normalized ACP total loss of ~150K in fiscal 2024. Video declined 167K versus -392K in the first quarter of 2024.
ACP is now behind the company, and new promos are helping; however, the analyst continues to see challenging competition with lower-priced fixed and mobile hotspot wireless, fiber and OTT video.
Charter has resumed stock repurchases after the Liberty Broadband acquisition vote.
Leverage has declined to 4.1x and will head to 4.25x gradually.
Positively, Horan does not expect Charter to grow EBITDA by ~2% per year. With stock buybacks and lower capex, free cash flow per share can increase 4x by 2030 to ~$100.
Charter reiterated its fiscal 2025 capex of ~$12 billion, declining to $8 billion in 2028.
Cash taxes of $1.6-2.0 billion, implying a ~15% Y/Y increase, but $1 billion of this in the second quarter.
Horan tweaked subscriber and financial estimates on the early effectiveness of the new go-to-market. The analyst reiterated that Charter looks attractive on a long-term free cash flow per-share basis following the completion of its network evolution in two years and major stock buybacks at a ~27% 2030 free cash flow yield.
Horan projected second-quarter revenue of $13.73 billion and EPS of $9.07.
CHTR Price Action: Charter Communications stock is up 0.97% to $377.29 at the last check on Monday.
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Photo: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

Charter's Strong Network, New Bundles Drive Analyst Optimism For Long-Term Growth

Citigroup analyst Michael Rollins maintains Charter Communications (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $425 to $445.

Citigroup Maintains Buy on Charter Communications, Raises Price Target to $445

RBC Capital analyst Jonathan Atkin maintains Charter Communications (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) with a Sector Perform and raises the price target from $385 to $395.

RBC Capital Maintains Sector Perform on Charter Communications, Raises Price Target to $395

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Charter to Participate in MoffettNathanson Media, Internet and Communications Conference

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CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Merger of Charter Communications, Inc. - CHTR

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