Charter Warns Broadband Competition Remains Fierce After Losing 172,000 Internet Customers

Charter Warns Broadband Competition Remains Fierce After Losing 172,000 Internet Customers Charter Warns Broadband Competition Remains Fierce After Losing 172,000 Internet Customers Anusuya Lahiri Sat, July 25, 2026 at 5:00 PM GMT+2 6 min read CHTR Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Charter Communications Inc. stock plunged to a new 52-week low in Friday premarket trading after investors focused on continued broadband subscriber losses, weaker revenue and lower profitability, despite the company reporting second-quarter 2026 earnings that topped Wall Street estimates.

Despite the sharp initial selloff, Charter shares recovered after the market opened, trimming most of their losses. The stock was down 1. 11% at last check.

Earnings Beat Expectations The cable and broadband provider reported revenue of $13. 53 billion, down 1. 7% from a year earlier but slightly above the analyst consensus estimate of $13.

51 billion. Adjusted earnings came in at $10. 66 per share, beating expectations of $10.

14. Don't Miss: A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why Still Learning the Market?

These 50 Must-Know Terms Can Help You Catch Up Fast Broadband Business Remains Under Pressure Charter continued to lose broadband and video customers during the quarter as competition from fixed wireless and fiber providers intensified. The company lost 172,000 internet customers, compared with a loss of 116,000 a year earlier. Video customer losses narrowed to 21,000, compared with a loss of 80,000 a year earlier, helped by simplified pricing, revised packaging and the addition of streaming services to Spectrum's expanded basic packages.

During the earnings call, CEO Chris Winfrey said competitive intensity for new customers remains high, although he expects broadband growth to eventually stabilize as Charter expands bundled offerings, improves customer service and rolls out faster network capabilities. "A competition for new customers from expanded competitive footprint remains high," he said. Adjusted EBITDA margin narrowed 110 basis points to 40.

3%. Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your 'Safe' Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time Mobile Growth And Cox Deal Support Outlook Wireless remained a bright spot. Charter added 406,000 mobile lines during the quarter, bringing its total to 12.

5 million as of June 30, 2026. The company also said bundling programmers' streaming apps into Spectrum packages helped reduce churn and attracted some customers during Disney's carriage dispute with YouTube TV. Winfrey said Charter expects its broadband business to stabilize and eventually return to growth through improved converged connectivity product and pricing, The Hollywood Reporter reported Friday.

Story Continues Winfrey also addressed reports of discussions with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. regarding Starlink-powered mobile services, saying Charter regularly speaks with industry participants but declined to comment on specific conversations. Winfrey said Charter expects its pending $34.

5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications to close in mid- to late August. He said the company has a detailed integration plan and expects about $800 million in transaction-related expense synergies, with the potential to reach $1 billion over time. See Also: Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier.

Cash Flow, Capital Spending And Debt Plan Free cash flow declined to $969 million from $1. 05 billion a year earlier as capital expenditures increased. Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $3.

93 billion. Charter ended the quarter with $509 million in cash and cash equivalents and served 29. 4 million internet customers.

The company also announced a debt exchange plan that would allow it to repurchase certain existing bonds using cash and newly issued debt. Charter said it may repurchase about $10 billion of existing bonds issued by Charter-affiliated subsidiaries and Time Warner Cable, while separately offering to purchase another $9. 7 billion of subsidiary-issued bonds, subject to a cap.

The company also plans to issue up to $3. 5 billion of new bonds maturing in 2038 and 2041, depending on the outcome of the exchange offer, Bloomberg reported Friday. Outlook Charter reiterated its 2026 capital expenditure forecast of about $11.

4 billion, down from $11. 7 billion in 2025. Photo via Shutterstock Read Next: Think you're saving enough for your kids?

You might be dangerously off — see why Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That's why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts.

By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn't tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry. Arrived Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100 .

This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly. Realberry Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.

4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U. S.

states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests. FarmTogether Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.

S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches. Immersed Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing.

Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1. 5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.

Fundrise Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth. Mode Mobile Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day.

Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte's fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.   EquityMultiple   For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000 , with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.

© 2026 Benzinga. com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice.

All rights reserved.