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Q1 26 EPS
$9.17
MISS 9.06%
Est. $10.08
Q1 26 Revenue
$13.60B
BEAT +0.41%
Est. $13.54B
vs S&P Since Q1 26
-44.6%
TRAILING MARKET
CHTR -43.0% vs S&P +1.6%
Market Reaction
Did CHTR Beat Earnings? Q1 2026 Results
Charter Communications delivered a mixed first quarter for 2026, missing on the bottom line while edging past revenue expectations, as persistent pressure on its legacy video business weighed on profitability. The Stamford-based cable giant posted di… Read more Charter Communications delivered a mixed first quarter for 2026, missing on the bottom line while edging past revenue expectations, as persistent pressure on its legacy video business weighed on profitability. The Stamford-based cable giant posted diluted EPS of $9.17, falling short of the $10.08 consensus estimate by 9.06%, even as revenue of $13.60 billion nudged 0.41% above forecasts, though it still slipped 1.0% year-over-year. The central drag came from residential video revenue, which fell 9.2% to $3.25 billion as Charter's deliberate pivot toward lower-priced, streaming-bundled packages restructured how revenues are recognized, with $218.00 million in programmer streaming app costs netted against video revenue compared to just $47.00 million a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA declined 2.2% to $5.64 billion and free cash flow fell to $1.37 billion, pressured by capital expenditures that rose 19.0% to $2.85 billion as Charter accelerated its network evolution buildout. The company reiterated full-year 2026 capex guidance of approximately $11.40 billion, expressing confidence that maturing product and rural initiatives will drive improving customer and free cash flow growth ahead.
Key Takeaways
- • Mobile line growth of 368,000 in Q1 driving 15.1% mobile service revenue increase
- • Video customer losses improved to 60,000 from 181,000 year-ago driven by simplified pricing/packaging and streaming app inclusions
- • Aggressive share buybacks reduced diluted weighted average shares by 12.3% year-over-year, boosting EPS despite lower net income
- • Programming costs decreased 9.3% year-over-year partly due to netting of streaming app costs within video revenue
- • Other revenue grew 14.2% driven by higher mobile device sales
CHTR Forward Guidance & Outlook
Charter expects full year 2026 capital expenditures, excluding impacts from the Cox transaction, to total approximately $11.4 billion. The company expects to complete its network evolution initiative in 2027. Management expressed confidence in improving customer and free cash flow growth as products, pricing, packaging, service, and rural/network initiatives mature.
CHTR YoY Financials
Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025, source: SEC Filings
CHTR Revenue by Segment
With YoY comparisons, source: SEC Filings
“We remain confident about our ability to win in the marketplace and grow over the longer term. That confidence is founded on our advanced network, our core operating strategy of delivering great products at great prices and our focus on increasing customer satisfaction.”
— Chris Winfrey, Q1 2026 Earnings Press Release
CHTR Earnings Trends
CHTR vs Market 30 Day Price Reactions
30-day stock return vs benchmark after each earnings
CHTR EPS Trend
Earnings per share: estimate vs actual
CHTR Revenue Trend
Quarterly revenue: estimate vs actual
CHTR Quarterly Results
5 quarters of earnings data
| Quarter | EPS Est. | EPS Act. | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 26 MISS | $10.08 | $9.17 | -9.06% | $13.60B | +0.41% |
| Q4 25 BEAT FY | $9.92 | $10.34 | +4.19% | $13.60B | -1.10% |
| FY Full Year | $42.24 | $36.21 | -14.27% | $54.77B | -0.24% |
| Q3 25 MISS | $9.29 | $8.34 | -10.27% | $13.67B | -0.56% |
| Q2 25 MISS | $9.66 | $9.18 | -4.96% | $13.77B | +0.02% |
| Q1 25 BEAT | $8.37 | $8.42 | +0.56% | $13.74B | +0.49% |