Bloodied but Unbowed: AT&T Rocked It in 2012

Updated

2012 wasn't exactly the transformative year AT&T had hoped it would be. The telecom giant pursued a $39 billion merger with smaller rival T-Mobile USA to the bitter end, but the game-changing deal was nixed by regulators at the tail end of 2011. Ma Bell paid a $4 billion breakup fee, including a portfolio of spectrum licenses, and moved on.

My oh my, how different the year could have been with T-Mobile's assets under the belt. But AT&T didn't exactly suffer anyhow:

T Total Return Price Chart
T Total Return Price Chart


T Total Return Price data by YCharts.

The stock edged out its Dow Jones Industrial Average peers any way you slice it, and it dominated the leading market index if you reinvested AT&T's generous dividends along the way.

Notably, the stock zigged upward over the summer, while the Dow zagged downward. Notably, both AT&T and fellow megatelecomVerizon reported outstanding quarterly results in April. The leading telecoms sent strong signals that iPhone sales aren't as important as they used to be. They'd be happy to stop sending massive subsidy checks to Cupertino, and they might go down that road someday soon. The afterglow from these reports lasted all summer long, even as they damaged the share price of iPhone maker Apple .

The mobile industry is evolving at breakneck pace right now. High-profile mergers are happening everywhere, the radio spectrum crunch is just as real as the fiscal cliff, and smartphones have matured into a de facto replacement for basic feature phones. AT&T is adjusting to all these changes like a champ so far.

There's no doubt that longtime AT&T-booster Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded with gains of more than 1,000%. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on reasons both to buy and to sell Apple, as well as what opportunities remain for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thoughts on Apple, simply click here now.

The article Bloodied but Unbowed: AT&T Rocked It in 2012 originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Anders Bylund holds no position in any company mentioned. Check out Anders' bio and holdings or follow him on Twitter and Google+.The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended creating a bull call spread position in Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.

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