Charter slips 4% as earnings show cash flow worries, though subscribers rise
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Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR) is among the biggest decliners in Communications names Friday, falling 3.6% after missing on top and bottom lines with its fourth-quarter earnings report, though the company boosted high-speed Internet customers.
Net income slipped by a quarter year-over-year on revenues that rose just 3.5% to $13.67B. Charter said that was mainly driven by higher income tax and interest expenses, partly offset by higher EBITDA.
Residential and small/medium business broadband customers rose by 105,000, an acceleration from gains of 75,000 in the third quarter - and called out by analysts who reviewed the report.
The better-than-expected broadband highlighted results that were only "marginally" light on revenues and EBITDA, Benchmark said in reaction. Meanwhile, mobile line additions of 615,000 were "resoundingly solid."
The company's Spectrum One offering likely boosted both the increase in broadband and the bigger increase in wireless, Wells Fargo pointed out. Meanwhile, the bank pointed to the key concerns, notably cash flow: Net cash from operations fell to $3.8B from the prior-year $4.2B (the company pointed again to higher taxes), and free cash flow fell further, to $1.1B from $2.3B, with an increase in capital expenditures. Charter sees 2023 capex coming in at $6.5B-$6.8B.
The company's growing its broadband footprint even amid hotter competition in fiber, CEO Chris Winfrey said on the company's earnings call. "In the fourth quarter, based on all the passings analysis that we look at, we actually grew despite that higher fiber overbuild inside of our footprint in the fourth quarter, we actually grew in that space despite the mix contribution of additional overbuild. So I think that's positive."
As for the threat from fixed wireless offerings from telecom entrants (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile), "we've not seen any demonstrable impact on our churn as it relates to fixed wireless access."
For more, dig into Seeking Alpha's transcript of Charter's Q4 earnings call.