Charter Communications, Inc (NASDAQ:CHTR) Poised To Shift From Heavy CapEx To Broadband Growth

Spectrum’s owner shows operational momentum as large network investments wind down and management prioritizes broadband customer growth for 2026.

Recent News

On February 27, 2026 the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau approved Charter’s $34.5 billion combination with Cox, clearing a major regulatory hurdle. On February 11, 2026 Spectrum News announced acquisition of New England Cable News (NECN) from NBCUniversal, expanding regional news distribution. On March 4–10, 2026 company executives emphasized broadband growth, new product rollouts such as “Invincible WiFi,” and a $1,000 savings guarantee at the Morgan Stanley conference. On January 14, 2026 a large shareholder, Liberty Broadband, trimmed its stake via block sales.

Technical Analysis

Directional indicators show a low-strength environment: ADX at 12.6 signals no dominant trend and the DI lines conflict—DI+ at 19.14 trending decreasing (bearish), while DI- at 19.73 has peaked and reversed (bullish). Together these readings imply consolidation rather than a committed directional move, which supports a valuation-driven case for sideways-to-positive near-term action if fundamentals re-rate.

MACD registers a dip-and-reversal pattern (bullish momentum development) but remains negative at -1.40 and below the signal line (-0.74); momentum suggests recovery pressure exists yet a bullish crossover has not completed, so momentum gains require confirmation from a MACD move above its signal.

MRO sits negative at -19.45, indicating price below the model target and therefore room for mean reversion upward; the negative value supports potential upside toward the WMDST valuation band absent deterioration in fundamentals.

RSI at 49.21 with a dip-and-reversal pattern sits near neutral and implies no overbought/oversold bias; short-term oscillators point to rangebound action with modest upside potential if MACD continues to recover.

Price structure favors near-term stabilization: last close $219.14, slightly above the 20-day average ($217.25) and 50-day average ($218.28), but well below the 200-day average ($258.06), which preserves a longer-term discount. The 12-day EMA shows a dip-and-reversal, and price sits inside the 1x Bollinger band range (lower ~ $212.71, upper ~ $221.80), consistent with low ADX and consolidation. Volume runs below the 50- and 200-day averages, indicating muted conviction behind recent moves.

 


Fundamental Analysis

Profitability metrics provide a constructive backdrop for valuation. EBIT equals $3.231B and EBIT margin at 23.76% sits above the industry peer mean (~9.09%) and above the industry peer median (~10.17%), reflecting strong operating profitability relative to peers. Operating margin stands at 24.66% and operating income at $3.354B, supporting durable cash generation.

Earnings beat expectations: reported EPS $10.34 versus an estimate of $9.93, a positive surprise of $0.41 or about 4.13%, which underpins near-term sentiment and aligns with higher operating margins translating into realized earnings.

Valuation multiples trade at moderate levels: trailing P/E ~20.49 and forward P/E ~18.27; price-to-book ~1.67 sits slightly below the industry peer mean (~1.81). Free cash flow was $426M with a free cash flow yield of ~1.59%, marginally under the industry peer mean (~1.83%), and free cash growth shows a contraction, which tempers the attractiveness of the yield despite solid margins.

Leverage and coverage remain the primary constraint on upside. Net debt stands near $96.6B against a market cap near $26.8B, yielding a net-debt-to-market-cap multiple above 3.5x; debt-to-EBITDA reads ~17.9x and debt-to-equity ~6.05x. Interest coverage at ~2.54x compares materially below the industry peer mean (~18.16x), highlighting elevated financial risk and constrained flexibility until leverage declines. Revenue trends show slight year-over-year decline (~-1.55% YoY) and a sharper sequential decrease QoQ (~-24.01%), reinforcing why management emphasizes returning to broadband net adds as capital intensity falls.

WMDST values the stock as under-valued given resilient margins and recent earnings strength, but elevated leverage and weak cash-growth dynamics limit catalyst scope until deleveraging progresses or free cash flow recovers.

MOST-RECENT QUARTERLY REPORT
REPORT PERIOD ENDING: 2025-12-31
REPORT DATE: 2026-01-30
NEXT REPORT DATE: 2026-05-01
CASH FLOW  Begin Period Cash Flow 521.0 M
 Operating Cash Flow 3.8 B
 Capital Expenditures -3.33 B
 Change In Working Capital -410.00 M
 Dividends Paid
 Cash Flow Delta 77.0 M
 End Period Cash Flow 598.0 M
 
INCOME STATEMENT REVENUE
 Total Revenue 13.6 B
 Forward Revenue 3.8 B
COSTS
 Cost Of Revenue 5.9 B
 Depreciation 2.2 B
 Depreciation and Amortization 2.2 B
 Research and Development
 Total Operating Expenses 10.2 B
PROFITABILITY
 Gross Profit 7.7 B
 EBITDA 5.4 B
 EBIT 3.2 B
 Operating Income 3.4 B
 Interest Income
 Interest Expense 1.3 B
 Net Interest Income -1.27 B
 Income Before Tax 2.0 B
 Tax Provision 415.0 M
 Tax Rate 21.163 %
 Net Income 1.3 B
 Net Income From Continuing Operations 1.5 B
EARNINGS
 EPS Estimate 9.93
 EPS Actual 10.34
 EPS Difference 0.41
 EPS Surprise 4.129 %
 Forward EPS 11.83
 
BALANCE SHEET ASSETS
 Total Assets 154.2 B
 Intangible Assets 97.6 B
 Net Tangible Assets -81.57 B
 Total Current Assets 5.1 B
 Cash and Short-Term Investments 477.0 M
 Cash 477.0 M
 Net Receivables 3.7 B
 Inventory
 Long-Term Investments 5.0 B
LIABILITIES
 Accounts Payable 1.0 B
 Short-Term Debt 1.7 B
 Total Current Liabilities 13.3 B
 Net Debt 96.6 B
 Total Debt 97.1 B
 Total Liabilities 133.7 B
EQUITY
 Total Equity 16.1 B
 Retained Earnings -5.39 B
VALUATION & PER-SHARE METRICS EQUITY & PER-SHARE METRICS
 Book Value Per-Share 126.78
 Shares Outstanding 126.632 M
 Revenue Per-Share 107.41
VALUATION
 Market Capitalization 26.8 B
 Enterprise Value 123.5 B
 Enterprise Multiple 22.76
Enterprise Multiple QoQ -11.144 %
Enterprise Multiple YoY 136.189 %
Enterprise Multiple IPRWA high: 64.866
mean: 34.455
median: 25.876
CHTR: 22.76
low: -5.258
 EV/R 9.078
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Asset To Equity 9.606
 Asset To Liability 1.153
 Debt To Capital 0.858
 Debt To Assets 0.63
Debt To Assets QoQ -0.827 %
Debt To Assets YoY 3595.892 %
Debt To Assets IPRWA high: 1.69
CHTR: 0.63
median: 0.349
mean: 0.325
low: 0.012
 Debt To Equity 6.05
Debt To Equity QoQ -4.392 %
Debt To Equity YoY 3587.681 %
Debt To Equity IPRWA CHTR: 6.05
high: 3.615
median: 0.907
mean: 0.796
low: -3.16
PRICE-BASED VALUATION
 Price To Book (P/B) 1.671
Price To Book QoQ -28.032 %
Price To Book YoY -48.713 %
Price To Book IPRWA high: 5.379
median: 1.857
mean: 1.812
CHTR: 1.671
low: -0.597
 Price To Earnings (P/E) 20.488
Price To Earnings QoQ -37.918 %
Price To Earnings YoY -42.163 %
Price To Earnings IPRWA high: 106.029
mean: 54.759
median: 34.324
CHTR: 20.488
low: -109.964
 PE/G Ratio 0.854
 Price To Sales (P/S) 1.972
Price To Sales QoQ -24.289 %
Price To Sales YoY -45.914 %
Price To Sales IPRWA high: 13.686
median: 5.727
mean: 5.401
CHTR: 1.972
low: 0.224
FORWARD MULTIPLES
Forward P/E 18.273
Forward PE/G 0.762
Forward P/S 6.729
EFFICIENCY OPERATIONAL
 Operating Leverage -14.689
ASSET & SALES
 Asset Turnover Ratio 0.089
Asset Turnover Ratio QoQ -1.369 %
Asset Turnover Ratio YoY -4.773 %
Asset Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 0.283
mean: 0.147
median: 0.118
CHTR: 0.089
low: 0.064
 Receivables Turnover 3.738
Receivables Turnover Ratio QoQ -2.31 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio YoY -17.283 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio IPRWA CHTR: 3.738
high: 3.242
mean: 1.979
median: 1.815
low: 0.991
 Inventory Turnover
Inventory Turnover Ratio QoQ
Inventory Turnover Ratio YoY
Inventory Turnover Ratio IPRWA
 Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) 24.414
CASH CYCLE
 Cash Conversion Cycle Days (CCC) 13.17
Cash Conversion Cycle Days QoQ 17.99 %
Cash Conversion Cycle Days YoY
Cash Conversion Cycle Days IPRWA high: 144.763
mean: 40.868
median: 28.512
CHTR: 13.17
low: -95.091
CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT
 Cash Conversion Ratio -1.666
 CapEx To Revenue -0.245
 CapEx To Depreciation -1.52
 
CAPITAL, LIQUIDITY & COVERAGE CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Total Capital 111.5 B
 Net Invested Capital 113.2 B
 Invested Capital 113.2 B
 Net Tangible Assets -81.57 B
 Net Working Capital -8.16 B
LIQUIDITY
 Cash Ratio 0.036
 Current Ratio 0.387
Current Ratio QoQ 3.212 %
Current Ratio YoY 23.165 %
Current Ratio IPRWA high: 2.784
mean: 1.464
median: 1.056
low: 0.404
CHTR: 0.387
 Quick Ratio
Quick Ratio QoQ
Quick Ratio YoY
Quick Ratio IPRWA
COVERAGE & LEVERAGE
 Debt To EBITDA 17.902
 Cost Of Debt 1.031 %
 Interest Coverage Ratio 2.544
Interest Coverage Ratio QoQ 7.458 %
Interest Coverage Ratio YoY -2.375 %
Interest Coverage Ratio IPRWA high: 147.5
mean: 18.159
median: 2.917
CHTR: 2.544
low: -15.218
 Operating Cash Flow Ratio 0.264
TIMING / LIQUIDITY
 Days Payables Outstanding (DPO) 11.245
DIVIDENDS
 Dividend Coverage Ratio
 Dividend Payout Ratio
 Dividend Rate
 Dividend Yield
PERFORMANCE GROWTH
 Asset Growth Rate 0.892 %
 Revenue Growth -0.519 %
Revenue Growth QoQ -24.012 %
Revenue Growth YoY -154.632 %
Revenue Growth IPRWA high: 71.226 %
mean: 11.536 %
median: 4.588 %
CHTR: -0.519 %
low: -6.502 %
 Earnings Growth 23.981 %
Earnings Growth QoQ -362.087 %
Earnings Growth YoY 65.249 %
Earnings Growth IPRWA high: 260.0 %
CHTR: 23.981 %
mean: 7.283 %
median: -25.0 %
low: -201.984 %
MARGINS
 Gross Margin 56.974 %
Gross Margin QoQ 40.075 %
Gross Margin YoY -45.209 %
Gross Margin IPRWA high: 97.722 %
median: 68.106 %
mean: 58.362 %
CHTR: 56.974 %
low: 37.002 %
 EBIT Margin 23.756 %
EBIT Margin QoQ 8.193 %
EBIT Margin YoY -0.352 %
EBIT Margin IPRWA high: 31.652 %
CHTR: 23.756 %
median: 10.167 %
mean: 9.085 %
low: -43.986 %
 Return On Sales (ROS) 24.66 %
Return On Sales QoQ 3.74 %
Return On Sales YoY 3.44 %
Return On Sales IPRWA high: 26.635 %
CHTR: 24.66 %
mean: 10.923 %
median: 10.789 %
low: -11.831 %
CASH FLOW
 Free Cash Flow (FCF) 426.0 M
 Free Cash Flow Yield 1.588 %
Free Cash Flow Yield QoQ -60.419 %
Free Cash Flow Yield YoY -46.023 %
Free Cash Flow Yield IPRWA high: 24.977 %
median: 2.073 %
mean: 1.832 %
CHTR: 1.588 %
low: -2.972 %
 Free Cash Growth -70.189 %
Free Cash Growth QoQ -263.067 %
Free Cash Growth YoY -719.716 %
Free Cash Growth IPRWA high: 516.576 %
median: 97.29 %
mean: 74.329 %
CHTR: -70.189 %
low: -519.247 %
 Free Cash To Net Income 0.32
 Cash Flow Margin 25.829 %
 Cash Flow To Earnings 2.637
VALUE & RETURNS
 Economic Value Added 0.02
 Return On Assets (ROA) 0.868 %
Return On Assets QoQ 16.198 %
Return On Assets YoY -11.338 %
Return On Assets IPRWA high: 6.218 %
CHTR: 0.868 %
median: 0.795 %
mean: 0.773 %
low: -3.114 %
 Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) 2.293 %
 Return On Equity (ROE) 0.083
Return On Equity QoQ 11.94 %
Return On Equity YoY -11.781 %
Return On Equity IPRWA high: 0.115
CHTR: 0.083
median: 0.022
mean: 0.016
low: -0.164
 DuPont ROE 8.486 %
 Return On Invested Capital (ROIC) 2.251 %
Return On Invested Capital QoQ 11.051 %
Return On Invested Capital YoY -98.264 %
Return On Invested Capital IPRWA high: 6.371 %
CHTR: 2.251 %
mean: 1.619 %
median: 1.608 %
low: -1.425 %

Six-Week Outlook

Expect a consolidation regime with a modest bullish tilt. Low ADX and conflicting DI signals point to range-bound price action around $212–$222 while MACD recovery and a negative MRO suggest mean-reversion upside toward the WMDST valuation band if momentum confirms. Watch for a decisive MACD crossover above its signal line and rising volume to validate momentum continuation. Elevated leverage and below-peer interest coverage will likely cap sustained rallies absent clear progress on deleveraging or improving free cash conversion.

About Charter Communications, Inc.

Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) delivers broadband connectivity and cable services across the United States, reaching approximately 32 million customers in 41 states. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Charter provides a comprehensive range of services under the Spectrum brand, including internet, video, mobile, and voice solutions. The company designs these offerings to enhance connectivity and communication for both residential and commercial clients. Charter’s advanced broadband solutions encompass fixed internet, WiFi, and mobile services, featuring innovative options like Spectrum Security Shield and Advanced WiFi to boost security and performance. The company ensures seamless connectivity with in-home and out-of-home WiFi solutions, catering to customers’ needs wherever they may be. For businesses, Charter delivers robust broadband communications solutions, including internet access, data networking, fiber connectivity, and business telephone services. Their voice communications utilize voice over internet protocol technology, ensuring reliable and efficient communication. In the media sector, Charter offers video programming and sells local advertising across prominent networks. Their Audience App enables local advertisers to create targeted, data-driven TV campaigns. Charter Communications remains a significant player in the telecommunications industry, focusing on innovation and customer satisfaction.



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