Latest news with #BenjaminSwinburne
CNBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Morgan Stanley's Ben Swinburne raised Disney's price target to $140. Here's why
Benjamin Swinburne, Morgan Stanley head of U.S. media research, and Sarat Sethi, DCLA, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss Disney's price target raise, what can add cash flow for the company and much more.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Churn Concerns Weigh On Verizon's Wireless Outlook Despite Financial Gains
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) delivered an encouraging second-quarter performance, highlighted by healthy financial growth and a significant boost to free cash flow. This stronger financial position is expected to accelerate debt reduction and provide the company with greater flexibility for future investments in fiber infrastructure or share buybacks. However, the telecom giant faces ongoing challenges with wireless net additions and anticipates a more competitive landscape in 2025, with expectations for flat postpaid consumer phone customer Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne maintained Verizon Communications with an Equal-Weight rating and raised the price forecast from $47 to $48 on Tuesday. Swinburne highlighted that Verizon's shares currently trade at a discount compared to many of its peers, reflecting a more tepid growth outlook. The analyst noted that the second-quarter results and updated outlook were encouraging, as financial growth remains healthy and the lift to FCF from tax reform is even more significant than previously expected. The latter point will allow Verizon to de-lever post Frontier faster than previously expected, he said, giving it additional capacity for incremental fiber builds and/or share buybacks. However, the wireless net additions performance remains mixed and 2025 is shaping up as more challenging than initially thought, Swinburne noted. The analyst forecasted roughly flat postpaid consumer phone customers in fiscal 2025 compared to fiscal 2024. He expects monthly postpaid phone churn to be up in the second half of 2025, reflecting the current competitive environment. Swinburne noted that this higher churn is partially offset by the expectation that gross adds growth will remain healthy, as Verizon's sales channels have been delivering this year. As per the analyst, it will be challenging for Verizon shares to re-rate higher unless the financial growth and/or KPIs improve from current levels. He also noted that broadband additions were lower than expected in second-quarter and have lowered our outlook. However, he expected Verizon to deliver on the 8-9mm FWA customer guidance by 2028. A low housing growth and low move environment along with increased broadband competition are weighing on Verizon's net additions, Swinburne noted. Swinburne projected fiscal 2025 revenue of $138.41 billion and adjusted EPS of $4.68. VZ Price action: VZ stock is trading lower by 0.59% to $42.71 at publication on Wednesday. Image via Shutterstock Latest Ratings for VZ Date Firm Action From To Jan 2022 JP Morgan Downgrades Overweight Neutral Jan 2022 Tigress Financial Maintains Buy Dec 2021 Daiwa Capital Initiates Coverage On Neutral View More Analyst Ratings for VZ View the Latest Analyst Ratings Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS (VZ): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Churn Concerns Weigh On Verizon's Wireless Outlook Despite Financial Gains originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Morgan Stanley Lifts PT on AT&T (T) to $32, Keeps an Overweight Rating
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is one of the best . On July 16, Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne raised the firm's price target on AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) to $32 from $31, keeping an Overweight rating on the shares. Ken Wolter / AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced on June 10 that it surpassed more than 30 million fiber locations, edging halfway closer to its objective of reaching around 60 million businesses and homes across America. The company is focused on expanding its fiber offerings in a number of ways, which includes expanding its commercial open-access agreements, organic in-region fiber network, public-private partnerships, Gigapower joint venture, and its plans to acquire all of Lumen's Mass Markets fiber business, encompassing over 4 million fiber locations across 11 states and about 1 million fiber customers. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) provides telecommunications and technology services and operates through the Communications and Latin America segments. Its Communications segment offers wireline telecom, wireless, and broadband services in the US and globally, while the Latin America segment manages services in Mexico. While we acknowledge the potential of T as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
19-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Netflix Stock Tumbles: Here's What Morgan Stanley Has to Say
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) had investors scratching their heads on Friday, as the stock was sliding ~5% despite the company delivering a pretty strong Q2 report. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. At first glance, the dip seemed hard to justify – Netflix beat expectations on the main numbers and delivered a solid outlook. Revenue was up 16% year-over-year, reaching $11.08 billion, just above Wall Street's estimate. Earnings per share came in at $7.19, topping forecasts by $0.12. Looking ahead, Netflix also offered a strong guide for the current quarter, calling for revenue of $11.53 billion, above the $11.28 billion analysts had expected. The company anticipates EPS of $6.87, also ahead of the $6.70 consensus estimate. That's the quarterly holy trinity – beats on the top line, bottom line, and guidance – but investor disappointment likely stems from sky-high expectations heading into the report. After all, the stock has been on a tremendous run, nearly doubling over the past year. But although investors appear to feel somewhat let down by the readout, many Street analysts are lining up to applaud the company, with a slew of price target hikes. Among those singing Netflix's praises is Morgan Stanley's Benjamin Swinburne, an analyst ranked amongst the top 4% of Street stock experts. Following the results, the 5-star analyst hailed the 'strong 2Q results,' reiterated NFLX's status as a Top Pick, and maintained an Overweight (i.e., Buy) rating on the shares. Swinburne also raised his price target from $1,450 to $1,500, implying the shares will gain 20% over the next year. (To watch Swinburne's track record, click here) 'As Netflix delivers mid-teens revenue growth and margin expansion in '25, it is investing in future growth with new ad tech, user interface, and GenAI tools,' Swinburne went on to say. That last point is one the analyst thinks investors should pay particular attention to. Swinburne believes GenAI is set to move out of the background in Hollywood and take center stage, and Netflix is 'well positioned to lead in GenAI innovation to drive its business.' Two examples highlight GenAI's growing impact. First, in the Netflix-coproduced series The Eternaut, GenAI-powered visual effects tools helped a small-budget production create a complex scene – a building collapse in Buenos Aires – that would have been financially out of reach using traditional methods. The director completed the VFX shot roughly ten times faster than with legacy tools. On the product side, Netflix is testing a natural language model that lets users explore its vast content library through simple conversation. Swinburne believes that these early use cases hint at the broader potential GenAI holds for the business over time. Turning now to the rest of the Street, where NFLX stock claims an additional 26 Buys and 11 Holds, all coalescing to a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The average price target clocks in at $1,360 and change, making room for additional one-year gains of 12%. (See NFLX stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Morgan Stanley Lifts PT on AT&T (T) to $32, Keeps an Overweight Rating
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is one of the best . On July 16, Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne raised the firm's price target on AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) to $32 from $31, keeping an Overweight rating on the shares. Ken Wolter / AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced on June 10 that it surpassed more than 30 million fiber locations, edging halfway closer to its objective of reaching around 60 million businesses and homes across America. The company is focused on expanding its fiber offerings in a number of ways, which includes expanding its commercial open-access agreements, organic in-region fiber network, public-private partnerships, Gigapower joint venture, and its plans to acquire all of Lumen's Mass Markets fiber business, encompassing over 4 million fiber locations across 11 states and about 1 million fiber customers. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) provides telecommunications and technology services and operates through the Communications and Latin America segments. Its Communications segment offers wireline telecom, wireless, and broadband services in the US and globally, while the Latin America segment manages services in Mexico. While we acknowledge the potential of T as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
