Charter Communications Inc.
CHTRBusiness Overview
ticker: CHTR step: 01 generated: 2026-05-13 source: quick-research
Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) — Business Overview
Business Description
Charter Communications is the second-largest US cable company and the nation's fastest-growing mobile provider, operating under the Spectrum brand. Services are available to 58 million homes and businesses across 41 states, offering broadband internet, cable TV, mobile (Spectrum Mobile MVNO on Verizon), and voice. Charter is mid-way through a multi-year Network Evolution upgrade to deliver symmetrical multi-gig internet speeds across its entire footprint by 2027. In 2025, Charter agreed to acquire Cox Communications ($34.5B, pending close mid-2026) — a transaction that would make Charter the largest cable company in the US, surpassing Comcast.
Revenue Model
Charter generates revenue primarily from: (1) residential broadband subscriptions (highest-margin, most durable); (2) Spectrum Mobile lines (MVNO on Verizon); (3) declining cable TV subscriptions evolving toward flexible streaming-inclusive packages; (4) enterprise and SMB services (Spectrum Business, Spectrum Enterprise); and (5) advertising. The Network Evolution capex cycle ($12B in 2025, declining toward $7B by 2028) is a temporary depressant on FCF that bulls expect to reverse dramatically as the upgrade completes.
Products & Services
- Spectrum Internet — HFC broadband evolving to symmetrical multi-gig via DOCSIS 4.0/Network Evolution
- Spectrum Mobile — MVNO on Verizon; 2.1M+ lines added in past year; fastest-growing mobile in US
- Spectrum TV — Cable video bundle + streaming apps integrated (new packages Sept 2024)
- Spectrum Business — SMB broadband, phone, TV, mobile
- Spectrum Enterprise — fiber internet, managed services, unified comms for mid/large enterprises
- Rural expansion — $7B+ investment, 100K+ miles new fiber, 1.7M+ new rural locations by 2027
Customer Base & Go-to-Market
Charter serves tens of millions of residential and business customers across a 41-state footprint. Broadband is the core service (~30M+ internet customers). Spectrum Mobile added 514K lines in Q1 2025 alone, positioning it as a converged broadband-plus-wireless bundle disruptor. Cox acquisition would add ~6.5M additional subscribers and expand the footprint into major markets (Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Las Vegas).
Competitive Position
Charter is the incumbent cable broadband provider in its footprint, competing against AT&T Fiber, Frontier, fiber overbuilders, and fixed wireless (T-Mobile, Verizon). Network Evolution (symmetrical multi-gig) is Charter's response to fiber competition, intended to match fiber speeds while leveraging existing HFC infrastructure at lower cost. Spectrum Mobile bundle convergence drives churn reduction and ARPU uplift. Cox acquisition (FCC approved Feb 27, 2025) positions Charter as the dominant cable/broadband platform in the US.
Key Facts
- Founded: 1993
- Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut
- Employees: ~101,000
- Exchange: NASDAQ
- Sector / Industry: Communication Services / Cable & Satellite
- Market Cap: ~$48B (at ~$220/share, ~217M shares)
Financial Snapshot
ticker: CHTR step: 04 generated: 2026-05-13 source: quick-research
Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) — Financial Snapshot
Income Statement Summary
| Metric | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $54.02B | $54.61B | $55.09B | +0.9% |
| Adj. EBITDA | ~$22B | ~$22.5B | ~$22.8B | ~+1.3% |
| Net Income | ~$5.1B | $4.56B | $5.08B | +11.5% |
| EPS (diluted, adj.) | ~$31 | ~$33 | ~$38 | ~+15% |
FY2025: Operating cash flows $16.1B (+12% vs FY2024 $14.4B); FCF grew from $4.3B in FY2024 on lower taxes and interest. Normalized EPS consensus ~$42.9 in FY2026 (+18%).
Cash Flow & Balance Sheet (FY2024)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $14.4B |
| Free Cash Flow | $4.3B |
| Capital Expenditures | ~$11.5B |
| Cash & Equivalents | ~$1.0B |
| Total Debt | ~$100B |
FCF is heavily suppressed by the Network Evolution capex cycle — $12B in 2025, declining to $7B by 2028. Bulls project FCF more than doubling as capex normalizes.
Key Ratios (approximate)
- P/E: ~6x (adj. FY2025) | EV/EBITDA: ~7x | FCF Yield: Low during capex peak, rising post-2027
- Revenue Growth: ~1% annually (subscriber losses offset by ARPU increases)
Growth Profile
Charter's revenue is nearly flat as broadband subscriber losses (120K in Q1 2026) are offset by broadband ARPU increases and rapid Spectrum Mobile growth (2.1M+ lines in the past year). The financial story is entirely about the capex cycle: $12B in 2025 declining to $7B by 2028 implies a $5B annual FCF uplift — potentially transforming Charter from a modest FCF generator to a $10B+ FCF machine. Debt is elevated (~$100B) but manageable given the EBITDA base; $500M in Cox synergies add incremental upside post-close.
Forward Estimates
- FY2026 normalized EPS: ~$42.9 (+18%); FY2027: ~$47 (+10%)
- Cox acquisition: $34.5B, closing mid-2026; $500M synergies within 3 years
- Capex: $12B (2025) → $11B (2026) → $7B (2028+) — key FCF inflection driver
- Spectrum Mobile: 2.1M+ lines added past year; fastest-growing US mobile provider
- Analyst mean PT: $276.80 (+26% upside from ~$220; 5 Buy / 9 Hold / 5 Underperform/Sell)
Deeper Financial Analysis
The fundamental tier adds 9 additional research dimensions for $CHTR.