AT&T Q4 revenues $41.0 billion
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Topics: AT&T
For the full year, AT&T continued to lead the industry in postpaid phone net adds, gaining more subscribers than in the prior 10 years combined; added more than 1 million fiber subscribers — the fourth consecutive year in which it has added 1 million or more subscribers; and surpassed the high end of its guidance for global HBO Max and HBO subscribers with nearly 74 million subscribers at the end of 2021.
Consolidated revenues for the fourth quarter totaled $41.0 billion versus $45.7 billion in the year-ago quarter, down 10.4% reflecting the impact of divested businesses, mainly U.S. Video in the third quarter and Vrio in the fourth quarter, and lower Business Wireline revenues.
Decreases were partially offset by higher WarnerMedia revenues, including a partial recovery from prior-year pandemic impacts, and higher Mobility and Consumer Wireline revenues. Excluding impacts of the U.S. Video business and Vrio from both quarters, consolidated revenues totaled $40.6 billion9 compared to $39.0 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Operating expenses were $35.7 billion versus $56.4 billion in the year-ago quarter. Expenses declined due to $16.4 billion of non-cash asset impairments in the prior year, the separation of the U.S. Video operations, and impacts of Vrio and other divested businesses.
These declines were partially offset by higher WarnerMedia programming, marketing and selling costs, and higher domestic wireless equipment costs, including 3G network shutdown costs.
Additionally, depreciation and amortization expense was $1.3 billion lower year over year, largely due to the impairments of long-lived assets taken in 2020 and ceasing depreciation and amortization of held-for-sale businesses.
Operating income (loss) was $5.3 billion versus ($10.7) billion in the year-ago quarter primarily due to non-cash asset impairments in the prior year. When adjusting for merger-amortization costs and other items, adjusted operating income was $6.6 billion10 versus $7.8 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted operating income was comparable when excluding the U.S. Video business and Vrio from both quarters.
Fourth-quarter net income (loss) attributable to common stock was $5.0 billion, or $0.69 per diluted common share, versus ($13.9) billion, or ($1.95) per common share in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusting for $0.09, which includes merger-amortization costs, a proportionate share of intangible amortization at the DIRECTV equity method investment, an actuarial gain on benefit plans, and other items, earnings per diluted common share was $0.78 compared to $0.75 in the year-ago quarter.
Cash from operating activities was $11.3 billion, up $1.2 billion year over year, including content spend of $4.6 billion. Capital expenditures were $3.8 billion in the quarter.
Gross capital investment totaled $4.9 billion, which includes $0.6 billion of cash payments for vendor financing and excludes $0.5 billion of FirstNet reimbursements.
Free cash flow, including $1.3 billion of distributions from DIRECTV classified as investing activities, was $8.7 billion for the quarter.
Net debt decreased by $1.7 billion sequentially, and net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA at the end of the fourth quarter was 3.22x.11
For full-year 2021 when compared with 2020 results, AT&T's consolidated revenues totaled $168.9 billion versus $171.8 billion, reflecting the separation of the U.S. Video business in the third quarter of 2021, and the impacts from other divested businesses.
These decreases were partially offset by higher revenues in WarnerMedia and Communications. Excluding impacts of U.S. Video and Vrio from both years, consolidated revenues totaled $153.2 billion9 compared to $144.6 billion in 2020.
Operating expenses were $145.5 billion in 2021 compared with $165.4 billion in 2020. Expenses declined due to $14.0 billion lower non-cash asset impairments year over year, a partial year of U.S. Video in 2021, and impacts of other divested businesses.
These declines were partially offset by higher WarnerMedia programming, marketing and selling costs, and higher domestic wireless equipment costs.
Additionally, depreciation and amortization expense was $5.7 billion lower year over year, largely due to the impairments of long-lived assets taken in 2020 and ceasing depreciation and amortization of held-for-sale businesses.
Operating income was $23.3 billion compared to $6.4 billion in the prior year, and operating income margin was 13.8% versus 3.7%. With adjustments for both years, operating income was $32.8 billion10 versus $34.1 billion in 2020, and operating income margin was 19.4% versus 19.8%.
Excluding impacts of U.S. Video and Vrio from both years, adjusted operating income totaled $30.5 billion12 compared to $32.4 billion in 2020.
Equity in net income (loss) of affiliates of $0.6 billion includes $0.6 billion from the DIRECTV investment for the five months after separation. With adjustment for a proportionate share of intangible amortization, adjusted equity in net income from the DIRECTV investment was $1.4 billion.13
2021 net income (loss) attributable to common stock was $19.9 billion, or $2.76 per diluted common share, versus ($5.4) billion, or ($0.75) per common share, in 2020. With adjustments for both years, earnings per diluted common share was $3.40 compared to $3.18 in 2020.
Cash from operating activities was $42.0 billion, down $1.2 billion year over year, including content spend of $19.2 billion, which was up $4.3 billion year over year. Capital expenditures were $16.5 billion for the year. Gross capital investment totaled $21.6 billion, which includes $4.6 billion of cash payments for vendor financing and excludes $0.5 billion of FirstNet reimbursements.
Full-year free cash flow2, which includes $1.3 billion of distributions from DIRECTV classified as investing activities, was $26.8 billion for the year compared to $27.5 billion in 2020. The company’s free cash flow to total dividend payout ratio3 for the full year was 56%. Net debt increased by $8.7 billion in the year. ■