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Thursday, October 22, 2026

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Companies · Thursday, October 22, 2026

AT&T lifts its profit outlook as other firms report

The File desk · Oct. 22, 2026, 6:40 a.m. ET

Confirmed4 primary sources

Status

Confirmed from the companies' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Oct. 21, 2026. The figures are theirs. No share-price move is reported, and nothing here is called a beat or a miss.
  • Confirmed
    AT&T said revenue was $32.3 billion, up 5.3 percent, and that it is raising its 2026 adjusted earnings outlook to the $2.40 range.
  • Confirmed
    IBM, Texas Instruments, and Lam Research reported their own revenue and profit figures the same day. Those figures are the companies'.
AT&T said Wednesday that quarterly revenue was $32.3 billion, up 5.3 percent from a year earlier, and that it is raising its outlook for 2026 adjusted earnings per share to the $2.40 range. IBM, Texas Instruments, and Lam Research also reported. The numbers are the companies'.1234
AT&T said that diluted earnings per share were $0.13, and adjusted earnings per share were $0.65, against $0.54 a year earlier. The company said it is “increasing its outlook for 2026 adjusted EPS” to “the $2.40 range.” That outlook is the company's.1
IBM said revenue was $17.1 billion, up 5 percent, and up 6 percent at constant currency. It said, “we now expect free cash flow to increase by more than $1 billion year-over-year.” Texas Instruments said revenue was $6.06 billion, net income was $2.43 billion, and earnings per share were $2.62, and that it expects fourth-quarter revenue of $5.80 billion to $6.30 billion. Lam Research said revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 27 was $8.22 billion, GAAP diluted earnings per share were $2.19, and December-quarter revenue guidance is $8.60 billion plus or minus $400 million. Those sentences are the filings'.234
Why it matters (Estimate). Estimate. Phone, software, and chip companies are telling investors what they sold last quarter and, in AT&T's case, what they now expect to earn this year. None of that is a prediction from this desk, and none of it is a share-price move.
AT&T's line on the outlook is “the $2.40 range,” in the company's exhibit.
How we know

Notes

  1. 1.AT&T, Exhibit 99.1, Oct. 21, 2026. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/732717/000073271726000370/t-3q2026exhibit991.htm “Revenues totaled $32.3 billion, up 5.3% year over year.” Diluted EPS $0.13. Adjusted EPS $0.65 versus $0.54. The company said it is increasing its outlook for 2026 adjusted EPS to the $2.40 range.
  2. 2.IBM, Exhibit 99.1, Oct. 21, 2026. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/51143/000005114326000093/ibm-20261021xex991.htm “Revenue of $17.1 billion, up 5 percent, up 6 percent at constant currency.” “we now expect free cash flow to increase by more than $1 billion year-over-year.” A GAAP earnings-per-share figure of $2.31 was not found in the exhibit text used here and is not printed.
  3. 3.Texas Instruments, Exhibit 99, Oct. 21, 2026. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/97476/000009747626000165/q32026txnex99-eredgar.htm Revenue $6.06 billion. Net income $2.43 billion. Earnings per share $2.62. Fourth-quarter revenue outlook $5.80 billion to $6.30 billion.
  4. 4.Lam Research, Exhibit 99.1, quarter ended Sept. 27, 2026. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/707549/000070754926000052/lrcx_exhibitx991xq1x2027.htm Revenue $8.22 billion. GAAP diluted EPS $2.19. December-quarter guidance $8.60 billion plus or minus $400 million. A year-over-year growth rate was not in the text used here and is not printed.

What is still unknown or disputed

  • Share-price moves. Not reported.
  • Whether the results were above or below analyst estimates. Not used.
  • A clock time for each release. Not used, except that the filings are dated Oct. 21.

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    AT&T third-quarter exhibit

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · October 21, 2026

    Revenue was $32.3 billion, up 5.3 percent. The company raised its 2026 adjusted earnings outlook to the $2.40 range.

    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/732717/000073271726000370/t-3q2026exhibit991.htm

  2. Source 2

    IBM third-quarter exhibit

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · October 21, 2026

    Revenue was $17.1 billion, up 5 percent. The company expects free cash flow to increase by more than $1 billion.

    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/51143/000005114326000093/ibm-20261021xex991.htm

  3. Source 3

    Texas Instruments third-quarter exhibit

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · October 21, 2026

    Revenue was $6.06 billion. Net income was $2.43 billion. Earnings per share were $2.62.

    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/97476/000009747626000165/q32026txnex99-eredgar.htm

  4. Source 4

    Lam Research exhibit

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · October 21, 2026

    Revenue was $8.22 billion. GAAP diluted earnings per share were $2.19.

    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/707549/000070754926000052/lrcx_exhibitx991xq1x2027.htm

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