AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) shares are trading higher on Thursday as risk appetite stays constructive, with Communication Services leading alongside other top-performing groups.
The Nasdaq is up 0.70% while the S&P 500 has gained 0.35%, and the Communication Services sector is adding about 1.2%, giving T a supportive tape to bounce with.
This month, AT&T rolled out a series of major deals and product launches aimed at strengthening its network leadership and customer experience.
$2 Billion Push To Power Next-Gen Emergency Network
AT&T revealed a $2 billion agreement to upgrade the nation’s emergency communications infrastructure. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration confirmed that Secretary Howard Lutnick worked with AT&T to advance public safety via the First Responder Network Authority’s nationwide broadband network.
Under the deal, AT&T will cut FirstNet costs by roughly $1 billion—freeing up capital to accelerate investment in the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network and fast-track deployment of a dedicated public safety 5G core.
OneConnect Launch Targets Simplicity And Retention
AT&T also introduced OneConnect, a bundled subscription designed to simplify how customers manage connectivity.
The new offering combines wireless and home internet into a single monthly plan, eliminating multiple bills and streamlining account management.
The move directly targets rising demand for convenience, with 72% of users preferring a single, unified bill—positioning AT&T to boost both customer satisfaction and retention.
What Is Driving AT&T’s Stock Rally Today?
Thursday’s push higher fits a “relief rally” feel after the stock’s momentum got stretched to the downside, with traders reacting to oversold signals and nearby longer-term trend lines. With market breadth positive (advancers leading by about 1.8 to 1), dip-buying is showing up more readily in large, defensive-leaning names.
Communication Services is also one of the day’s leaders, ranking third out of 11 sectors, which can amplify moves in bellwether telecom and media stocks. That sector bid matters because it tends to pull capital toward higher-yielding, cash-flow stories when the broader market is green.
The broader backdrop is broadly “risk-on,” with the Nasdaq up 0.70% and the S&P 500 up 0.35%, while seven sectors are advancing versus four declining. Energy (+1.48%) and Technology (+1.19%) are also strong, reinforcing the idea that buyers are leaning into equities rather than hiding out.
Critical Levels To Watch for AT&T Stock
AT&T is sitting in the middle of its 52-week range ($22.95 to $29.79), which points to a market still debating direction after earlier swings. The stock is trading 5.5% below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 0.1% above its 100-day SMA, a mix that leans weak short-term but closer to “holding ground” on the intermediate trend near $26.28.
The relative strength index (RSI), a momentum gauge, is 26.56, which is firmly oversold and often lines up with selling pressure getting crowded. RSI at 26.56 tells you sellers have been in control lately, even as rebounds can start to appear.
- Key Resistance: $29.50 — a level where rallies have recently struggled to keep pushing higher.
- Key Support: $23.50 — an area where buyers have tended to step in and defend pullbacks.
Over the past 12 months, the stock is down 2.78%, which is consistent with a choppy, range-bound tape rather than a clean uptrend. The golden cross in March (50-day SMA above the 200-day SMA) still argues the longer-term structure isn’t broken, but the stock being below the 200-day SMA keeps that bullish signal under pressure.
How AT&T Compares to Communication Services Peers
AT&T is outperforming its Communication Services peers today, up 3.22% versus the sector’s 1.18% gain, a lead of about 2.04 percentage points. With Communication Services ranking 3 out of 11 sectors, the group tailwind is real, but T is doing more than just “riding beta.”
Zooming out, the sector is up 2.92% over the past 30 days and up 3.10% over the past 90 days, which supports the idea that money has been rotating back into the space. If the sector stays near the top of the leaderboard, relative strength like today’s can matter because it often draws incremental flows toward the leaders.
AT&T Earnings Preview: What Analysts Expect
The countdown is on: AT&T is set to report earnings on April 22, 2026 (confirmed).
- EPS Estimate: 55 cents (Up from 51 cents YoY)
- Revenue Estimate: $31.22 Billion (Up from $30.63 Billion YoY)
- Valuation: P/E of 8.4x (Indicates value opportunity relative to peers)
Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy Rating with an average price target of $30.40. Recent analyst moves include:
- Scotiabank: Sector Perform (Raises Target to $31.50) (April 1)
- Keybanc: Overweight (Raises Target to $36.00) (March 25)
- Citigroup: Buy (Raises Target to $31.50) (March 23)
AT&T Benzinga Edge Rankings: Growth and Value Insights
Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for AT&T, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:
- Quality: Neutral (Score: 55.21) — The fundamentals read as steady, not standout, versus the broader market.
- Value: Neutral (Score: 41.7) — Valuation looks middle-of-the-pack on this model, not a deep bargain signal.
- Growth: Strong (Score: 83.07) — The scorecard flags better growth characteristics than many peers.
The Verdict: AT&T’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a growth-tilted profile with neutral value and quality readings. With momentum not scored here, the chart setup (oversold RSI and mixed moving averages) becomes the key swing factor traders are watching into earnings.
Top ETFs Holding AT&T: XLC, IXP, and GQGU
- State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:XLC): 5.02% Weight
- iShares Global Comm Services ETF (NYSE:IXP): 5.07% Weight
- GQG US Equity ETF (NYSE:GQGU): 5.05% Weight
Significance: Because T carries such a heavy weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock.
AT&T Stock Price Movement on Thursday
T Stock Price Activity: AT&T shares were up 3.22% at $26.28 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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