Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Consolidated Statements of Income
2024 2023 2022
Operating Revenues
Service $ 100,135 $ 99,649 $ 97,831
Equipment 22,201 22,779 22,910
Total operating revenues 122,336 122,428 120,741
Operating Expenses
Cost of revenues
Equipment 22,249 23,136 24,009
Other cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation
and amortization shown separately below)
26,972 26,987 26,839
Selling, general and administrative 28,411 28,874 28,961
Asset impairments and abandonments and restructuring 5,075 1,193 27,498
Depreciation and amortization 20,580 18,777 18,021
Total operating expenses 103,287 98,967 125,328
Operating Income (Loss) 19,049 23,461 ( 4,587 )
Other Income (Expense)
Interest expense ( 6,759 ) ( 6,704 ) ( 6,108 )
Equity in net income of affiliates 1,989 1,675 1,791
Other income (expense) – net 2,419 1,416 5,810
Total other income (expense) ( 2,351 ) ( 3,613 ) 1,493
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes 16,698 19,848 ( 3,094 )
Income tax expense on continuing operations 4,445 4,225 3,780
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations 12,253 15,623 ( 6,874 )
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax — — ( 181 )
Net Income (Loss) 12,253 15,623 ( 7,055 )
Less: Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest ( 1,305 ) ( 1,223 ) ( 1,469 )
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to AT&T $ 10,948 $ 14,400 $ ( 8,524 )
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends ( 202 ) ( 208 ) ( 203 )
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Stock $ 10,746 $ 14,192 $ ( 8,727 )
Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Share from continuing operations $ 1.49 $ 1.97 $ ( 1.10 )
Basic Loss Per Share from discontinued operations $ — $ — $ ( 0.03 )
Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Share Attributable to Common Stock $ 1.49 $ 1.97 $ ( 1.13 )
Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share from continuing operations $ 1.49 $ 1.97 $ ( 1.10 )
Diluted Loss Per Share from discontinued operations $ — $ — $ ( 0.03 )
Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share Attributable to Common Stock $ 1.49 $ 1.97 $ ( 1.13 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
2024 2023 2022
Net income (loss) $ 12,253 $ 15,623 $ ( 7,055 )
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Foreign Currency:
Translation adjustment, net of taxes of $( 175 ), $ 143 and $ 90
( 545 ) 463 346
Reclassification adjustment included in net income (loss), net of taxes of
$( 14 ), $ 0 and $ 0
127 — —
Distributions of WarnerMedia, net of taxes of $ 0 , $ 0 and $( 38 )
— — ( 182 )
Securities:
Net unrealized gains (losses), net of taxes of $( 5 ), $ 8 and $( 49 )
( 19 ) 22 ( 143 )
Reclassification adjustment included in net income (loss), net of taxes of $ 10 , $ 4
and $ 3
30 11 8
Derivative Instruments:
Net unrealized gains (losses), net of taxes of $ 121 , $ 228 and $( 183 )
380 922 ( 648 )
Reclassification adjustment included in net income (loss), net of taxes of $ 14 , $ 12
and $ 25
45 47 96
Distributions of WarnerMedia, net of taxes of $ 0 , $ 0 and $( 12 )
— — ( 24 )
Defined benefit postretirement plans:
Net prior service (cost) credit arising during period, net of taxes of $ 0 , $ 10
and $ 583
— 32 1,787
Amortization of net prior service credit included in net income (loss), net of taxes of
$( 492 ), $( 642 ) and $( 663 )
( 1,523 ) ( 1,963 ) ( 2,028 )
Distributions of WarnerMedia, net of taxes of $ 0 , $ 0 and $ 5
— — 25
Other comprehensive income (loss) ( 1,505 ) ( 466 ) ( 763 )
Total comprehensive income (loss) 10,748 15,157 ( 7,818 )
Less: Total comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest ( 1,305 ) ( 1,223 ) ( 1,469 )
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to AT&T $ 9,443 $ 13,934 $ ( 9,287 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
42
AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31,
2024 2023
Assets
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 3,298 $ 6,722
Accounts receivable – net of related allowance for credit loss of $ 375 and $ 499
9,638 10,289
Inventories 2,270 2,177
Prepaid and other current assets 15,962 17,270
Total current assets 31,168 36,458
Property, Plant and Equipment – Net 128,871 128,489
Goodwill – Net 63,432 67,854
Licenses – Net 127,035 127,219
Other Intangible Assets – Net 5,255 5,283
Investments in and Advances to Equity Affiliates 295 1,251
Operating Lease Right-Of-Use Assets 20,909 20,905
Other Assets 17,830 19,601
Total Assets $ 394,795 $ 407,060
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current Liabilities
Debt maturing within one year $ 5,089 $ 9,477
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 35,657 35,852
Advanced billings and customer deposits 4,099 3,778
Dividends payable 2,027 2,020
Total current liabilities 46,872 51,127
Long-Term Debt 118,443 127,854
Deferred Credits and Other Noncurrent Liabilities
Deferred income taxes 58,939 58,666
Postemployment benefit obligation 9,025 8,734
Operating lease liabilities 17,391 17,568
Other noncurrent liabilities 23,900 23,696
Total deferred credits and other noncurrent liabilities 109,255 108,664
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest 1,980 1,973
Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred stock ($ 1 par value, 10,000,000 authorized at December 31, 2024
and December 31, 2023):
Series A ( 48,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023)
— —
Series B ( 20,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023)
— —
Series C ( 70,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023)
— —
Common stock ($ 1 par value, 14,000,000,000 authorized at December 31, 2024 and
December 31, 2023: issued 7,620,748,598 at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023)
7,621 7,621
Additional paid-in capital 109,108 114,519
Retained earnings (deficit) 1,871 ( 5,015 )
Treasury stock ( 444,853,148 at December 31, 2024 and 470,685,237 at December 31, 2023, at cost)
( 15,023 ) ( 16,128 )
Accumulated other comprehensive income 795 2,300
Noncontrolling interest 13,873 14,145
Total stockholders’ equity 118,245 117,442
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $ 394,795 $ 407,060
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
2024 2023 2022
Operating Activities
Income (loss) from continuing operations $ 12,253 $ 15,623 $ ( 6,874 )
Adjustments to reconcile income (loss) from continuing operations to net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation and amortization 20,580 18,777 18,021
Provision for uncollectible accounts 1,969 1,969 1,865
Deferred income tax expense 1,570 3,037 2,975
Net (gain) loss on investments, net of impairments 80 441 381
Pension and postretirement benefit expense (credit) ( 1,883 ) ( 2,552 ) ( 3,237 )
Actuarial and settlement (gain) loss on pension and postretirement benefits – net
56 1,594 ( 1,999 )
Asset impairments and abandonments and restructuring 5,075 1,193 27,498
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Receivables 123 82 727
Inventories, prepaid and other current assets ( 383 ) ( 642 ) ( 674 )
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities ( 810 ) ( 1,764 ) ( 1,109 )
Equipment installment receivables and related sales ( 1,846 ) ( 133 ) 154
Deferred customer contract acquisition and fulfillment costs 497 1 ( 947 )
Postretirement claims and contributions ( 166 ) ( 735 ) ( 823 )
Other – net 1,656 1,423 ( 146 )
Total adjustments 26,518 22,691 42,686
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities from Continuing Operations 38,771 38,314 35,812
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures ( 20,263 ) ( 17,853 ) ( 19,626 )
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired ( 380 ) ( 2,942 ) ( 10,200 )
Dispositions 75 72 199
Distributions from DIRECTV in excess of cumulative equity in earnings 928 2,049 2,649
(Purchases), sales and settlements of securities and investments – net
2,575 ( 902 ) 82
Other – net ( 425 ) ( 84 ) ( 3 )
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities from Continuing Operations ( 17,490 ) ( 19,660 ) ( 26,899 )
Financing Activities
Net change in short-term borrowings with original maturities of three months or less — ( 914 ) ( 519 )
Issuance of other short-term borrowings 491 5,406 3,955
Repayment of other short-term borrowings ( 2,487 ) ( 3,415 ) ( 18,345 )
Issuance of long-term debt 19 10,004 2,979
Repayment of long-term debt ( 10,297 ) ( 12,044 ) ( 25,118 )
Note payable to DIRECTV, net of payments
— ( 130 ) ( 1,211 )
Payment of vendor financing ( 1,792 ) ( 5,742 ) ( 4,697 )
Purchase of treasury stock ( 215 ) ( 194 ) ( 890 )
Issuance of treasury stock 15 3 28
Issuance of preferred interests in subsidiary
— 7,151 —
Redemption of preferred interests in subsidiary
— ( 5,333 ) ( 2,665 )
Dividends paid ( 8,208 ) ( 8,136 ) ( 9,859 )
Other – net ( 2,234 ) ( 2,270 ) ( 3,222 )
Net Cash Used in Financing Activities from Continuing Operations
( 24,708 ) ( 15,614 ) ( 59,564 )
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash from continuing operations ( 3,427 ) 3,040 ( 50,651 )
Cash flows from Discontinued Operations:
Cash used in operating activities
— — ( 3,789 )
Cash provided by investing activities
— — 1,094
Cash provided by financing activities
— — 35,823
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash from discontinued operations
— — 33,128
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
( 3,427 ) 3,040 ( 17,523 )
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash beginning of year 6,833 3,793 21,316
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash End of Year $ 3,406 $ 6,833 $ 3,793
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars and shares in millions except per share amounts
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity
2024 2023 2022
Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount
Preferred Stock – Series A
Balance at beginning of year — $ — — $ — — $ —
Balance at end of year — $ — — $ — — $ —
Preferred Stock – Series B
Balance at beginning of year — $ — — $ — — $ —
Balance at end of year — $ — — $ — — $ —
Preferred Stock – Series C
Balance at beginning of year — $ — — $ — — $ —
Balance at end of year — $ — — $ — — $ —
Common Stock
Balance at beginning of year 7,621 $ 7,621 7,621 $ 7,621 7,621 $ 7,621
Balance at end of year 7,621 $ 7,621 7,621 $ 7,621 7,621 $ 7,621
Additional Paid-In Capital
Balance at beginning of year $ 114,519 $ 123,610 $ 130,112
Distribution of WarnerMedia — — ( 6,832 )
Preferred stock dividends
( 134 ) ( 205 ) —
Common stock dividends ($ 1.11 , $ 1.11
and $ 1.11 per share in 2024, 2023 and 2022)
( 4,020 ) ( 7,991 ) —
Issuance of treasury stock ( 516 ) ( 379 ) ( 171 )
Share-based payments ( 184 ) ( 109 ) ( 162 )
Redemption or reclassification of
interests held by noncontrolling owners
( 557 ) ( 407 ) 663
Balance at end of year $ 109,108 $ 114,519 $ 123,610
Retained Earnings (Deficit)
Balance at beginning of year $ ( 5,015 ) $ ( 19,415 ) $ 42,350
Net income (loss) attributable to AT&T 10,948 14,400 ( 8,524 )
Distribution of WarnerMedia — — ( 45,041 )
Preferred stock dividends ( 71 ) — ( 207 )
Common stock dividends ($ 1.11 , $ 1.11
and $ 1.11 per share in 2024, 2023 and 2022)
( 3,991 ) — ( 7,993 )
Balance at end of year $ 1,871 $ ( 5,015 ) $ ( 19,415 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars and shares in millions except per share amounts
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity – continued
2024 2023 2022
Shares Amount
Shares Amount
Shares Amount
Treasury Stock
Balance at beginning of year ( 471 ) $ ( 16,128 ) ( 493 ) $ ( 17,082 ) ( 480 ) $ ( 17,280 )
Repurchase and acquisition of
common stock
( 12 ) ( 215 ) ( 10 ) ( 194 ) ( 44 ) ( 890 )
Issuance of treasury stock 38 1,320 32 1,148 31 1,088
Balance at end of year ( 445 ) $ ( 15,023 ) ( 471 ) $ ( 16,128 ) ( 493 ) $ ( 17,082 )
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Attributable to AT&T, net of tax
Balance at beginning of year $ 2,300 $ 2,766 $ 3,529
Other comprehensive income (loss)
attributable to AT&T
( 1,505 ) ( 466 ) ( 763 )
Balance at end of year $ 795 $ 2,300 $ 2,766
Noncontrolling Interest 1
Balance at beginning of year $ 14,145 $ 8,957 $ 17,523
Net income attributable to
noncontrolling interest
1,163 1,146 1,469
Issuance and acquisition (disposition) of
noncontrolling owners
( 29 ) 5,180 ( 21 )
Redemption of noncontrolling interest ( 76 ) ( 53 ) ( 2,665 )
Reclassification of noncontrolling
interest
— — ( 5,997 )
Distributions ( 1,330 ) ( 1,085 ) ( 1,352 )
Balance at end of year $ 13,873 $ 14,145 $ 8,957
Total Stockholders’ Equity at
beginning of year
$ 117,442 $ 106,457 $ 183,855
Total Stockholders’ Equity at
end of year
$ 118,245 $ 117,442 $ 106,457
1 Excludes redeemable noncontrolling interest.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation Throughout this document, AT&T Inc. is referred to as “AT&T,” “we” or the “Company.” The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and subsidiaries and affiliates which we control. AT&T is a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates operate worldwide in the telecommunications and technology industries.
On April 8, 2022, we completed the separation of our WarnerMedia business, which represented substantially all of our WarnerMedia segment, in a Reverse Morris Trust transaction, under which Magallanes, Inc. (Spinco), a formerly wholly-owned subsidiary of AT&T that held the WarnerMedia business, was distributed to AT&T stockholders via a pro rata dividend, followed by the combination of Spinco with a subsidiary of Discovery, Inc. (Discovery), which was renamed Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD). (See Note 6)
Upon the separation and distribution, the WarnerMedia business met the criteria for discontinued operations. For discontinued operations, we also evaluated transactions that were components of AT&T’s single plan of a strategic shift, including dispositions that previously did not individually meet the criteria due to materiality, and have determined discontinued operations to be comprised of WarnerMedia, Vrio, Xandr and Playdemic Ltd. (Playdemic). These businesses are reflected in the accompanying financial statements as discontinued operations, including for periods prior to the consummation of the WarnerMedia/Discovery Transaction. (See Notes 6 and 24)
All significant intercompany transactions are eliminated in the consolidation process. Investments in subsidiaries and partnerships which we do not control but have significant influence are accounted for under the equity method. Earnings from certain investments accounted for using the equity method are included in our results on a one quarter lag. We also record our proportionate share of our equity method investees’ other comprehensive income (OCI) items, including translation adjustments. We treat distributions received from equity method investees as returns on investment and classify them as cash flows from operating activities until those distributions exceed our cumulative equity in the earnings of that investment. We treat the excess amount as a return of investment and classify it as cash flows from investing activities. In the event we receive dividends in excess of the carrying amount of the investment, and we have no obligation to provide financial support to the equity method investee, we treat those dividends as returns on investment and classify them as cash flows from operating activities.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions, including other estimates of fair value, probable losses and expenses, that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Moreover, unfavorable changes in market conditions, including interest rates, could adversely impact those estimates and result in asset impairments. Certain prior-period amounts have been conformed to the current period’s presentation. Unless otherwise noted, the information in Notes 1 through 23 refer only to our continuing operations and do not include discussion of balances or activity of WarnerMedia, Vrio, Xandr and Playdemic, which are part of discontinued operations.
Adopted and New Accounting Standards
Segment Reporting In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (ASU 2023-07). Beginning with our 2024 annual reporting, we adopted, through retrospective application, ASU No. 2023-07 , which requires that a public entity disclose, on an interim and annual basis, significant segment expense categories and amounts that are regularly provided to its chief operating decision maker (CODM) and included in each reported measure of segment profit or loss. An entity must also disclose, by reportable segment, the amount and composition of other expenses. The standard requires an entity disclose the title and position of its CODM and explain how the CODM uses these reported measures in assessing segment performance and determining how to allocate resources.
Convertible Instruments Beginning with 2022 interim reporting, we adopted, through retrospective application, ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” (ASU 2020-06) . ASU 2020-06 requires that instruments which may be settled in cash or stock are presumed settled in stock in calculating diluted earnings per share. Prior to the April 2023 repurchase, settlement of our Series A Cumulative Perpetual Membership Interests in AT&T Mobility II LLC (Mobility preferred interests) could have resulted in additional dilutive impact, the magnitude of which was influenced by the fair value of the Mobility preferred interests and the average AT&T common stock price during the reporting period, which varied from period-to-period (see Note 16).
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Income Taxes In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (ASU 2023-09), which requires that a public entity disclose specific categories in its annual income tax rate reconciliation table and provide additional qualitative information for reconciling items representing at least 5% of pre-tax income or loss from continuing operations, using the federal statutory tax rate. The standard also requires an annual breakdown of income taxes paid by jurisdiction (i.e., federal, state and foreign), with further disaggregation by jurisdictions representing at least 5% of total income taxes paid. ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with prospective application.
Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses” (ASU 2024-03), which requires that a public entity disclose the amounts of (a) purchases of inventory, (b) employee compensation, (c) depreciation and (d) intangible asset amortization included in each relevant expense caption presented on the face of the income statement. The standard also requires an entity to disclose a qualitative description of the amounts remaining in relevant expense captions that are not separately disaggregated quantitatively as well as disclose the total amount of selling expenses and, annually, the entity’s definition of selling expenses. ASU 2024-03 will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026, with either retrospective or prospective application. The standard allows for early adoption of these requirements; we are currently evaluating the disclosure impacts of our adoption.
Accounting Policies
Income Taxes We record deferred income taxes for temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the computed tax basis of those assets and liabilities. We record valuation allowances against the deferred tax assets (included, together with our deferred income tax assets, as part of our reportable net deferred income tax liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets), for which the realization is uncertain. We review these items regularly in light of changes in federal, state and foreign tax laws and changes in our business.
Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. The carrying amounts approximate fair value. At December 31, 2024, we held $ 2,149 in cash and $ 1,149 in money market funds and other cash equivalents. Of our total cash and cash equivalents, $ 1,268 resided in foreign jurisdictions, some of which is subject to restrictions on repatriation.
Allowance for Credit Losses We record expense to maintain an allowance for credit losses for estimated losses that result from the failure or inability of our customers to make required payments deemed collectible from the customer when the service was provided or product was delivered. When determining the allowances for trade receivables and loans, we consider the probability of recoverability of accounts receivable based on past experience, taking into account current collection trends and general economic factors, including bankruptcy rates. We also consider future economic trends to estimate expected credit losses over the lifetime of the asset. Credit risks are assessed based on historical write-offs, net of recoveries, as well as an analysis of the aged accounts receivable balances with allowances generally increasing as the receivable ages. Accounts receivable may be fully reserved for when specific collection issues are known to exist, such as catastrophes or pending bankruptcies.
Inventories Inventories primarily consist of wireless devices and accessories and are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value .
Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost, except for assets acquired through business combinations, which are initially recorded at fair value. The cost of additions and substantial improvements to property, plant and equipment is capitalized, and includes internal compensation costs for these projects. The cost of maintenance and repairs of property, plant and equipment is charged to operating expenses. Property, plant and equipment costs are depreciated using straight-line methods over their estimated economic lives. Certain subsidiaries follow composite group depreciation methodology. Accordingly, when a portion of their depreciable property, plant and equipment is retired in the ordinary course of business, the gross book value is reclassified to accumulated depreciation, and no gain or loss is recognized on the disposition of these assets.
Property, plant and equipment is reviewed for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. We recognize an impairment loss when the carrying amount of a long-lived asset is not recoverable. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. (See Note 7)
The liability for the fair value of an asset retirement obligation is recorded in the period in which it is incurred if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. In periods subsequent to initial measurement, we recognize period-to-period changes in the
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
liability resulting from the passage of time and revisions to either the timing or the amount of the original estimate. The increase in the carrying value of the associated long-lived asset is depreciated over the corresponding estimated economic life.
Software Costs We capitalize certain costs incurred in connection with developing or obtaining internal-use software. Capitalized software costs are included in “Property, Plant and Equipment – Net” on our consolidated balance sheets.
We amortize our capitalized software costs over a three -year to seven -year period, reflecting the estimated period during which these assets will remain in service.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets We have the following major classes of intangible assets: goodwill; licenses, which include Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other wireless licenses; customer lists and relationships; and trademarks, trade names and various other finite-lived intangible assets (see Note 9).
Goodwill represents the excess of consideration paid over the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired in business combinations.
Wireless licenses provide us with the exclusive right to utilize certain radio frequency spectrum to provide wireless communications services. While wireless licenses are issued for a fixed period of time (generally ten years ), renewals of domestic wireless licenses have occurred routinely and at nominal cost. We have determined that there are currently no legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors that limit the useful lives of our FCC wireless licenses. Cash paid, including spectrum deposits (net of refunds), capitalized interest, and any payments for incentive and relocation costs are included in “Acquisitions, net of cash acquired” in our consolidated statements of cash flows. Interest is capitalized until the spectrum is ready for its intended use.
We amortize our wireless licenses in Mexico over their average remaining economic life of 25 years.
We acquired the rights to the AT&T and other trade names in previous acquisitions, classifying certain of those trade names as indefinite-lived. We have the effective ability to retain these exclusive rights permanently at a nominal cost.
Goodwill, FCC wireless licenses and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are tested at least annually for impairment (see Note 9). The testing is performed on the value as of October 1 each year and compares the book values of the assets to their fair values. Goodwill is tested by comparing the carrying amount of each reporting unit, deemed to be our principal operating segments or one level below them, to the fair value using both discounted cash flow as well as market multiple approaches. FCC wireless licenses are tested on an aggregate basis, consistent with our use of the licenses on a national scope, using a discounted cash flow approach. Trade names are tested by comparing their book values to their fair values calculated using a discounted cash flow approach on a presumed royalty rate derived from the revenues related to each brand name.
Intangible assets that have finite useful lives are amortized over their estimated economic lives (see Note 9). Customer lists and relationships are amortized using primarily the sum-of-the-months-digits method of amortization over the period in which those relationships are expected to contribute to our future cash flows. Finite-lived trademarks and trade names are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the assets. The remaining finite-lived intangible assets are generally amortized using the straight-line method. These assets, along with other long-lived assets, are reviewed for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable.
Advertising Costs We expense advertising costs for products and services or for promoting our corporate image as incurred (see Note 23).
Foreign Currency Translation Our foreign subsidiaries and foreign investments generally report their earnings in their local currencies. We translate their foreign assets and liabilities at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet dates. We translate their revenues and expenses using average rates during the year. The resulting foreign currency translation adjustments are recorded as a separate component of accumulated OCI on our consolidated balance sheets (see Note 3).
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits See Note 14 for a comprehensive discussion of our pension and postretirement benefits, including a discussion of the actuarial assumptions, our policy for recognizing the associated gains and losses and our method used to estimate service and interest cost components.
49
AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
NOTE 2. EARNINGS PER SHARE
A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of basic and diluted earnings per share is shown in the table below:
Year Ended December 31, 2024 2023 2022
Numerators
Numerator for basic earnings per share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax $ 12,253 $ 15,623 $ ( 6,874 )
Net income from continuing operations attributable to
noncontrolling interests
( 1,305 ) ( 1,223 ) ( 1,469 )
Preferred Stock Dividends ( 202 ) ( 208 ) ( 203 )
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to
common stock
10,746 14,192 ( 8,546 )
Adjustment to carrying value of noncontrolling interest — — 663
Numerator for basic earnings per share from continuing operations 1
10,746 14,192 ( 7,883 )
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to common stock
— — ( 181 )
Numerator for basic earnings per share 1
$ 10,746 $ 14,192 $ ( 8,064 )
Dilutive potential common shares:
Mobility preferred interests 2
— 72 526
Share-based payment 2
— 13 17
Numerator for diluted earnings per share $ 10,746 $ 14,277 $ ( 7,521 )
Denominators (000,000)
Denominator for basic earnings per share:
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 7,199 7,181 7,166
Dilutive potential common shares:
Mobility preferred interests (in shares) — 71 378
Share-based payment (in shares) 5 6 43
Denominator for diluted earnings per share 2
7,204 7,258 7,587
1 For 2022, in the calculation of basic earnings per share, income (loss) attributable to common stock for continuing operations and total company has been increased by $ 663 from adjustment to carrying value of noncontrolling interest. (See Note 16)
2 For 2022, dilutive potential common shares are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because their effect is antidilutive as a result of the net loss.
On April 5, 2023, we repurchased all of our Mobility preferred interests (see Note 16). For periods prior to repurchase, under ASU 2020-06, the ability to settle the Mobility preferred interests in stock was reflected in our diluted earnings per share calculation (see Note 1).
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
NOTE 3. OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Changes in the balances of each component included in accumulated OCI are presented below. All amounts are net of tax and exclude noncontrolling interest.
Foreign
Currency
Translation
Adjustment Net Unrealized
Gains (Losses) on Securities
Net Unrealized
Gains (Losses) on Derivative Instruments
Defined Benefit
Postretirement
Plans Accumulated Other
Comprehensive
Income
Balance as of December 31, 2021 $ ( 1,964 ) $ 45 $ ( 1,422 ) $ 6,870 $ 3,529
Other comprehensive income
(loss) before reclassifications
346 ( 143 ) ( 648 ) 1,787 1,342
Amounts reclassified from
accumulated OCI
— 1 8 1 96 2 ( 2,028 ) 3 ( 1,924 )
Distribution of WarnerMedia ( 182 ) — ( 24 ) 25 ( 181 )
Net other comprehensive
income (loss)
164 ( 135 ) ( 576 ) ( 216 ) ( 763 )
Balance as of December 31, 2022 ( 1,800 ) ( 90 ) ( 1,998 ) 6,654 2,766
Other comprehensive income
(loss) before reclassifications
463 22 922 32 1,439
Amounts reclassified from
accumulated OCI
— 1 11 1 47 2 ( 1,963 ) 3 ( 1,905 )
Net other comprehensive
income (loss)
463 33 969 ( 1,931 ) ( 466 )
Balance as of December 31, 2023 ( 1,337 ) ( 57 ) ( 1,029 ) 4,723 2,300
Other comprehensive income
(loss) before reclassifications
( 545 ) ( 19 ) 380 — ( 184 )
Amounts reclassified from
accumulated OCI
127 1 30 1 45 2 ( 1,523 ) 3 ( 1,321 )
Net other comprehensive
income (loss)
( 418 ) 11 425 ( 1,523 ) ( 1,505 )
Balance as of December 31, 2024 $ ( 1,755 ) $ ( 46 ) $ ( 604 ) $ 3,200 $ 795
1 (Gains) losses are included in “Other income (expense) – net” in the consolidated statements of income.
2 (Gains) losses are primarily included in “Interest expense” in the consolidated statements of income (see Note 12).
3 The amortization of prior service credits associated with postretirement benefits is included in “Other income (expense) – net” in the consolidated statements of income (see Note 14).
NOTE 4. SEGMENT INFORMATION
Our segments are comprised of strategic business units or other operations that offer products and services to different customer segments over various technology platforms and/or in different geographies that are managed accordingly. We have two reportable segments: Communications and Latin America.
Our chief operating decision maker (CODM) is our Chief Executive Officer and President. Our CODM uses operating income to evaluate performance and allocate resources, including capital allocations, when managing the business. Our CODM manages operations through the review of actual and forecasted “Operations and Support Expenses” information at a segment and business unit level, with Communications and Latin America segments primarily evaluated on a direct cost basis and comprised of equipment, compensation, network and technology, sales, advertising and other costs.
Additionally, business unit expenses within the Communications segment include direct and shared costs. Direct costs are incurred in support of products and services offered by the business units, such as equipment costs (predominantly wireless devices), network access, rents, leases, sales support, customer provisioning and commission expenses. Shared costs amongst the business units generally include information technology, network engineering and construction costs, advertising and other general and administrative expense.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The Communications segment provides wireless and wireline telecom and broadband services to consumers located in the United States and businesses globally. Our business strategies reflect integrated product offerings that cut across product lines and utilize shared assets. This segment contains the following business units:
• Mobility provides nationwide wireless service and equipment.
• Business Wireline provides advanced ethernet-based fiber services, fixed wireless services, IP Voice and managed professional services, as well as legacy voice and data services and related equipment, to business customers.
• Consumer Wireline provides broadband services, including fiber connections that provide multi-gig services, and our fixed wireless access product (AT&T Internet Air or “AIA”) that provides internet services delivered over our 5G wireless network, to residential customers in select locations. Consumer Wireline also provides legacy telephony voice communication services.
The Latin America segment provides wireless service and equipment in Mexico.
Corporate and Other reconciles our segment results to consolidated operating income and income before income taxes.
Corporate includes :
• DTV-related retained costs , which are costs previously allocated to the Video business that were retained after the transaction, net of reimbursements from DIRECTV under transition service agreements.
• Parent administration support , which includes costs borne by AT&T where the business units do not influence decision making.
• Securitization fees associated with our sales of receivables (see Note 17).
• Value portfolio , which are businesses no longer integral to our operations or which we no longer actively market.
Other items consist of :
• Certain significant items , which includes items associated with the merger and integration of acquired or divested businesses, including amortization of intangible assets, employee separation charges associated with voluntary and/or strategic offers, asset impairments and abandonments and restructuring, and other items for which the segments are not being evaluated.
“Interest expense” and “Other income (expense) – net” are managed only on a total company basis and are, accordingly, reflected only in consolidated results.
For the year ended December 31, 2024
Revenues Operations
and Support
Expenses Depreciation
and
Amortization
Operating
Income
(Loss)
Communications
Mobility $ 85,255 $ 48,724 $ 10,217 $ 26,314
Business Wireline 18,819 13,352 5,555 ( 88 )
Consumer Wireline 13,578 9,048 3,661 869
Total Communications 117,652 71,124 19,433 27,095
Latin America – Mexico
4,232 3,535 657 40
Segment Total 121,884 74,659 20,090 27,135
Corporate and Other
Corporate:
DTV-related retained costs — 465 414 ( 879 )
Parent administration support ( 2 ) 1,722 6 ( 1,730 )
Securitization fees 116 628 — ( 512 )
Value portfolio 338 102 17 219
Total Corporate 452 2,917 437 ( 2,902 )
Certain significant items — 5,131 53 ( 5,184 )
Total Corporate and Other 452 8,048 490 ( 8,086 )
AT&T Inc. $ 122,336 $ 82,707 $ 20,580 $ 19,049
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
For the year ended December 31, 2023
Revenues Operations
and Support
Expenses Depreciation
and
Amortization Operating
Income
(Loss)
Communications
Mobility $ 83,982 $ 49,604 $ 8,517 $ 25,861
Business Wireline 20,883 14,217 5,377 1,289
Consumer Wireline 13,173 9,053 3,469 651
Total Communications 118,038 72,874 17,363 27,801
Latin America – Mexico
3,932 3,349 724 ( 141 )
Segment Total 121,970 76,223 18,087 27,660
Corporate and Other
Corporate:
DTV-related retained costs — 686 586 ( 1,272 )
Parent administration support ( 7 ) 1,416 6 ( 1,429 )
Securitization fees 85 604 — ( 519 )
Value portfolio 380 99 22 259
Total Corporate 458 2,805 614 ( 2,961 )
Certain significant items — 1,162 76 ( 1,238 )
Total Corporate and Other 458 3,967 690 ( 4,199 )
AT&T Inc. $ 122,428 $ 80,190 $ 18,777 $ 23,461
For the year ended December 31, 2022
Revenues Operations
and Support
Expenses Depreciation
and
Amortization Operating
Income
(Loss)
Communications
Mobility $ 81,780 $ 49,770 $ 8,198 $ 23,812
Business Wireline 22,538 14,934 5,314 2,290
Consumer Wireline 12,749 8,946 3,169 634
Total Communications 117,067 73,650 16,681 26,736
Latin America – Mexico
3,144 2,812 658 ( 326 )
Segment Total 120,211 76,462 17,339 26,410
Corporate and Other
Corporate:
DTV-related retained costs 8 878 549 ( 1,419 )
Parent administration support ( 32 ) 1,378 16 ( 1,426 )
Securitization fees 65 419 — ( 354 )
Value portfolio 489 139 41 309
Total Corporate 530 2,814 606 ( 2,890 )
Certain significant items — 28,031 76 ( 28,107 )
Total Corporate and Other 530 30,845 682 ( 30,997 )
AT&T Inc. $ 120,741 $ 107,307 $ 18,021 $ ( 4,587 )
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The following table is a reconciliation of Segment Operating Income to “Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes” reported in our consolidated statements of income:
For the years ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
Communications $ 27,095 $ 27,801 $ 26,736
Latin America 40 ( 141 ) ( 326 )
Segment Operating Income 27,135 27,660 26,410
Reconciling Items:
Corporate ( 2,902 ) ( 2,961 ) ( 2,890 )
Transaction and other costs ( 123 ) ( 98 ) ( 425 )
Amortization of intangibles acquired ( 53 ) ( 76 ) ( 76 )
Asset impairments and abandonments and restructuring ( 5,075 ) ( 1,193 ) ( 27,498 )
Benefit-related gains (losses) 67 129 ( 108 )
AT&T Operating Income (Loss) 19,049 23,461 ( 4,587 )
Interest expense
6,759 6,704 6,108
Equity in net income of affiliates 1,989 1,675 1,791
Other income (expense) – net 2,419 1,416 5,810
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes $ 16,698 $ 19,848 $ ( 3,094 )
The following table sets forth revenues earned from customers, and property, plant and equipment located in different geographic areas:
At or for the years ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
Revenues Net Property,
Plant &
Equipment
Revenues
Net Property,
Plant &
Equipment
Revenues
Net Property,
Plant &
Equipment
United States $ 116,882 $ 125,573 $ 117,097 $ 124,387 $ 116,006 $ 123,305
Mexico 4,286 2,981 3,993 3,750 3,210 3,718
Asia/Pacific Rim 462 82 521 99 592 124
Europe 441 139 504 166 584 201
Latin America 149 60 194 67 217 74
Other 116 36 119 20 132 23
Total $ 122,336 $ 128,871 $ 122,428 $ 128,489 $ 120,741 $ 127,445
The following table presents assets, investments in equity affiliates and capital expenditures by segment:
At or for the years ended December 31, 2024 2023
Assets Investments in
Equity Method
Investees Capital
Expenditures Assets Investments in
Equity Method
Investees Capital
Expenditures
Communications $ 481,757 $ — $ 19,335 $ 504,006 $ — $ 16,876
Latin America 7,808 — 269 9,314 — 298
Corporate and eliminations
( 94,770 ) 295 659 ( 106,260 ) 1,251 679
Total $ 394,795 $ 295 $ 20,263 $ 407,060 $ 1,251 $ 17,853
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
NOTE 5. REVENUE RECOGNITION
We report our revenues net of sales taxes and record certain regulatory fees, primarily Universal Service Fund (USF) fees, on a net basis. No customer accounted for more than 10% of consolidated revenues in 2024, 2023 or 2022.
Wireless, Advanced Data, Legacy Voice & Data Services and Equipment Revenue
We offer service-only contracts and contracts that bundle equipment used to access the services and/or with other service offerings. Some contracts have fixed terms and others are cancelable on a short-term basis (i.e., month-to-month arrangements).
Examples of service revenues include wireless, fiber and other advanced connectivity, transitional and legacy voice and data. These services represent a series of distinct services that is considered a separate performance obligation. Service revenue is recognized when services are provided, based upon either period of time (e.g., monthly service fees) or usage (e.g., bytes of data processed).
Some of our services require customer premises equipment that, when combined and integrated with AT&T’s specific network infrastructure, facilitates the delivery of service to the customer. In evaluating whether the equipment is a separate performance obligation, we consider the customer’s ability to benefit from the equipment on its own or together with other readily available resources and if so, whether the service and equipment are separately identifiable (i.e., is the service highly dependent on, or highly interrelated with the equipment). When equipment is a separate performance obligation, we record the sale of equipment when title has passed and the products are accepted by the customer. For devices sold through indirect channels (e.g., national retailers), revenue is recognized when the retailer accepts the device, not upon activation.
Our equipment and service revenues are predominantly recognized on a gross basis, as most of our services do not involve a third party and we typically control the equipment that is sold to our customers.
Revenue recognized from fixed-term contracts that bundle services and/or equipment is allocated based on the standalone selling price of all required performance obligations of the contract (i.e., each item included in the bundle). Promotional discounts are attributed to each required component of the arrangement, resulting in recognition over the contract term. Standalone selling prices are determined by assessing prices paid for service-only contracts (e.g., arrangements where customers bring their own devices) and standalone device pricing.
We offer the majority of our customers the option to purchase certain wireless devices in installments over a specified period of time, and, in many cases, they may be eligible to trade in the original equipment for a new device and have the remaining unpaid balance paid or settled. For customers that elect these equipment installment payment programs, at the point of sale, we recognize revenue for the entire amount of revenue allocated to the customer receivable net of fair value of the trade-in right guarantee, when applicable. The difference between the revenue recognized and the consideration received is recorded as a note receivable when the devices are not discounted and our right to consideration is unconditional. When installment sales include promotional discounts that are earned by customers over the contract term (e.g., “buy one get one free” or equipment discounts with trade-in of a device), notes receivable are recognized net of discounts and the difference between revenue recognized and consideration received is recorded as a contract asset to be amortized over the contract term.
Less commonly, we offer certain customers highly discounted devices when they enter into a minimum service agreement term. For these contracts, we recognize equipment revenue at the point of sale based on a standalone selling price allocation. The difference between the revenue recognized and the cash received is recorded as a contract asset that will amortize over the contract term.
Our contracts allow for customers to frequently modify their arrangement, without incurring penalties in many cases. When a contract is modified, we evaluate the change in scope or price of the contract to determine if the modification should be treated as a new contract or if it should be considered a change of the existing contract. We generally do not have significant impacts from contract modifications.
Revenues from transactions between us and our customers are recorded net of revenue-based regulatory fees and taxes. Cash incentives given to customers are recorded as a reduction of revenue. Nonrefundable, upfront service activation and setup fees associated with service arrangements are deferred and recognized over the associated service contract period or customer relationship life.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Revenue Categories
The following tables set forth reported revenue by category and by business unit:
For the year ended December 31, 2024
Communications
Mobility Business Wireline Consumer Wireline Latin America Corporate & Other Total
Wireless service $ 65,373 $ — $ — $ 2,668 $ — $ 68,041
Business service — 18,064 — — — 18,064
Broadband — — 11,212 — — 11,212
Legacy voice and data — — 1,265 — 253 1,518
Other — — 1,101 — 199 1,300
Total Service 65,373 18,064 13,578 2,668 452 100,135
Equipment 19,882 755 — 1,564 — 22,201
Total $ 85,255 $ 18,819 $ 13,578 $ 4,232 $ 452 $ 122,336
For the year ended December 31, 2023
Communications
Mobility Business Wireline Consumer Wireline Latin America Corporate & Other Total
Wireless service $ 63,175 $ — $ — $ 2,569 $ — $ 65,744
Business service — 20,274 — — — 20,274
Broadband — — 10,455 — — 10,455
Legacy voice and data — — 1,508 — 294 1,802
Other — — 1,210 — 164 1,374
Total Service 63,175 20,274 13,173 2,569 458 99,649
Equipment 20,807 609 — 1,363 — 22,779
Total $ 83,982 $ 20,883 $ 13,173 $ 3,932 $ 458 $ 122,428
For the year ended December 31, 2022
Communications
Mobility Business Wireline Consumer Wireline Latin America Corporate & Other Total
Wireless service $ 60,499 $ — $ — $ 2,162 $ 13 $ 62,674
Business service — 21,891 — — — 21,891
Broadband — — 9,669 — — 9,669
Legacy voice and data — — 1,746 — 323 2,069
Other — — 1,334 — 194 1,528
Total Service 60,499 21,891 12,749 2,162 530 97,831
Equipment 21,281 647 — 982 — 22,910
Total $ 81,780 $ 22,538 $ 12,749 $ 3,144 $ 530 $ 120,741
Deferred Customer Contract Acquisition and Fulfillment Costs
Costs to acquire and fulfill customer contracts, including commissions on service activations, for our Mobility, Business Wireline and Consumer Wireline services, are deferred and amortized over the contract period or expected customer relationship life, which typically ranges from three years to five years .
During the first quarter of 2022, we updated our analysis of expected economic lives of customer relationships. As of January 1, 2022, we extended the amortization period for deferred acquisition and fulfillment contract costs within Mobility, Business Wireline and Consumer Wireline to better reflect the estimated economic lives of the relationships. These changes in
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
accounting estimate decreased “Other cost of revenues” approximately $ 395 , or $ 0.04 per diluted share from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.
The following table presents the deferred customer contract acquisition and fulfillment costs included on our consolidated balance sheets at December 31:
Consolidated Balance Sheets 2024 2023
Deferred Acquisition Costs
Prepaid and other current assets $ 3,239 $ 3,233
Other Assets 4,177 4,077
Total deferred customer contract acquisition costs $ 7,416 $ 7,310
Deferred Fulfillment Costs
Prepaid and other current assets $ 2,101 $ 2,340
Other Assets 3,289 3,843
Total deferred customer contract fulfillment costs $ 5,390 $ 6,183
The following table presents deferred customer contract acquisition and fulfillment cost amortization, which are primarily included in “Selling, general and administrative” and “Other cost of revenues,” respectively, for the years ended December 31:
Consolidated Statements of Income 2024 2023
Deferred acquisition cost amortization $ 3,667 $ 3,476
Deferred fulfillment cost amortization 2,525 2,700
Contract Assets and Liabilities
A contract asset is recorded when revenue is recognized in advance of our right to bill and receive consideration. The contract asset will decrease as services are provided and billed. For example, when installment sales include promotional discounts (e.g., trade-in device credits) the difference between revenue recognized and consideration received is recorded as a contract asset to be amortized over the contract term.
Our contract assets primarily relate to our wireless businesses. Promotional equipment sales where we offer handset credits, which are allocated between equipment and service in proportion to their standalone selling prices, when customers commit to a specified service period result in additional contract assets recognized. These contract assets will amortize over the service contract period, resulting in lower future service revenue.
When consideration is received in advance of the delivery of goods or services, a contract liability is recorded. Reductions in the contract liability will be recorded as we satisfy the performance obligations.
The following table presents contract assets and liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets at December 31:
Consolidated Balance Sheets
2024 2023
Contract asset $ 6,855 $ 6,518
Current portion in “Prepaid and other current assets” 3,845 3,549
Contract liability 4,272 3,994
Current portion in “Advanced billings and customer deposits” 3,981 3,666
Our beginning of period contract liabilities recorded as customer contract revenue during 2024 was $ 3,666 .
Remaining Performance Obligations
Remaining performance obligations represent services we are required to provide to customers under bundled or discounted arrangements, which are satisfied as services are provided over the contract term. In determining the transaction price allocated,
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
we do not include non-recurring charges and estimates for usage, nor do we consider arrangements with an original expected duration of less than one year, which are primarily prepaid wireless and residential internet agreements.
Remaining performance obligations associated with business contracts reflect recurring charges billed, adjusted to reflect estimates for sales incentives and revenue adjustments. Performance obligations associated with wireless contracts are estimated using a portfolio approach in which we review all relevant promotional activities, calculating the remaining performance obligation using the average service component for the portfolio and the average device price. As of December 31, 2024, the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations was $ 40,914 , of which we expect to recognize approximately 85 % by the end of 2026, with the balance recognized thereafter.
NOTE 6. ACQUISITIONS, DISPOSITIONS AND OTHER ADJUSTMENTS
Acquisitions
Spectrum Auctions On January 14, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that we were the winning bidder for 1,624 3.45 GHz licenses in Auction 110. We provided the FCC an upfront deposit of $ 123 in the third quarter of 2021 and paid the remaining $ 8,956 in the first quarter of 2022, for a total of $ 9,079 . We funded the purchase price using cash and short-term investments. We received the licenses in May 2022 and classified the auction deposits and related capitalized interest as “Licenses – Net” on our December 31, 2022 consolidated balance sheet.
In February 2021, the FCC announced that AT&T was the winning bidder for 1,621 C-Band licenses, comprised of a total of 80 MHz nationwide, including 40 MHz in Phase I. We provided to the FCC an upfront deposit of $ 550 in 2020 and cash payments totaling $ 22,856 in the first quarter of 2021, for a total of $ 23,406 . We received the licenses in July 2021 and classified the auction deposits, related capitalized interest and billed relocation costs as “Licenses – Net” on our December 31, 2021 consolidated balance sheet. In December 2021, we paid $ 955 of Incentive Payments upon clearing of Phase I spectrum and paid $ 2,112 upon clearing of Phase II spectrum in 2023. Additionally, we are responsible for approximately $ 1,100 of compensable relocation costs over the next several years as the spectrum is being cleared by satellite operators, of which we paid $ 650 in 2021, $ 98 in 2022, $ 109 in 2023 and $ 138 in 2024. Funding for the purchase price of the spectrum included a combination of cash on hand and short-term investments, as well as short- and long-term debt.
Dispositions Reflected as Discontinued Operations
WarnerMedia On April 8, 2022, we completed the separation and distribution of our WarnerMedia business, and merger of Spinco, an AT&T subsidiary formed to hold the WarnerMedia business, with a subsidiary of Discovery, Inc., which was renamed Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc (WBD). Each AT&T shareholder was entitled to receive 0.241917 shares of WBD common stock for each share of AT&T common stock held as of the record date , which represented approximately 71 % of WBD. In connection with and in accordance with the terms of the Separation and Distribution Agreement (SDA), prior to the distribution and merger, AT&T received approximately $ 40,400 , which includes $ 38,800 of Spinco cash and $ 1,600 of debt retained by WarnerMedia. During the second quarter of 2022, $ 45,041 of retained earnings and $ 5,632 of additional paid-in capital associated with the transaction were removed from our balance sheet. Additionally, in August 2022, we and WBD finalized the post-closing adjustment, pursuant to Section 1.3 of the SDA, which resulted in a $ 1,200 payment to WBD in the third quarter of 2022 and was reflected in the balance sheet as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital. (See Note 24)
Xandr On June 6, 2022, we completed the sale of the marketplace component of Xandr to Microsoft Corporation. Xandr was reflected in our historical financial statements as discontinued operations.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
NOTE 7. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Property, plant and equipment is summarized as follows at December 31:
Lives (years)
2024 2023
Land - $ 1,372 $ 1,377
Buildings and improvements 2 - 44
39,947 39,380
Central office equipment 1
3 - 10
101,607 100,264
Cable, wiring and conduit 15 - 50
95,217 90,109
Other equipment 3 - 20
87,656 85,379
Software 3 - 7
17,663 17,742
Under construction - 7,452 5,640
350,914 339,891
Accumulated depreciation and amortization 222,043 211,402
Property, plant and equipment – net $ 128,871 $ 128,489
1 Includes certain network software.
Our depreciation expense was $ 20,421 in 2024, $ 18,593 in 2023, and $ 17,852 in 2022. Depreciation expense included amortization of software totaling $ 3,076 in 2024, $ 3,023 in 2023 and $ 2,972 in 2022.
In December 2022, we recorded a noncash pre-tax charge of $ 1,413 to abandon conduits that will not be utilized to support future network activity. The abandonment was considered outside the ordinary course of business.
During the first quarter of 2022, we updated our analysis of economic lives of AT&T-owned fiber network assets. As of January 1, 2022, we extended the estimated economic life and depreciation period of such costs to better reflect the physical life of the assets that we had been experiencing and absence of technological changes that would replace fiber as the best broadband technology in the industry. The change in accounting estimate decreased depreciation expense $ 280 , or $ 0.03 per diluted share from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.
NOTE 8. LEASES
We have operating and finance leases for certain facilities and equipment used in our operations. Our leases generally have remaining lease terms of up to 15 years. Some of our operating leases (e.g., for towers and real estate) contain renewal options that may be exercised, and some of our leases include options to terminate the leases within one year.
We have recognized a right-of-use asset for both operating and finance leases, and a corresponding lease liability that represents the present value of our obligation to make payments over the lease term. The present value of the lease payments is calculated using the incremental borrowing rate for operating and finance leases, which was determined using a portfolio approach based on the rate of interest that we would have to pay to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments on a collateralized basis over a similar term. We use the unsecured borrowing rate and risk-adjust that rate to approximate a collateralized rate in the currency of the lease, which will be updated on a quarterly basis for measurement of new lease liabilities.
The components of lease expense were as follows:
2024 2023 2022
Operating lease cost $ 5,776 $ 5,577 $ 5,437
Finance lease cost:
Amortization of leased assets in property, plant and equipment
$ 205 $ 232 $ 204
Interest on lease obligation 171 184 159
Total finance lease cost $ 376 $ 416 $ 363
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The following table provides supplemental cash flows information related to leases:
2024 2023 2022
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Cash paid for amounts included in lease obligations:
Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 4,757 $ 4,588 $ 4,679
Supplemental Lease Cash Flow Disclosures
Operating lease right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease obligations
3,762 2,693 3,751
The following tables set forth supplemental balance sheet information related to leases at December 31:
2024 2023
Operating Leases
Operating lease right-of-use assets $ 20,909 $ 20,905
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 3,533 $ 3,524
Operating lease obligation 17,391 17,568
Total operating lease obligation $ 20,924 $ 21,092
Finance Leases
Property, plant and equipment, at cost $ 2,449 $ 2,828
Accumulated depreciation and amortization ( 1,378 ) ( 1,399 )
Property, plant and equipment – net $ 1,071 $ 1,429
Current portion of long-term debt $ 179 $ 183
Long-term debt 1,237 1,655
Total finance lease obligation $ 1,416 $ 1,838
2024 2023
Weighted-Average Remaining Lease Term (years)
Operating leases 7.6 7.7
Finance leases 6.7 7.2
Weighted-Average Discount Rate
Operating leases 4.5 % 4.1 %
Finance leases 8.5 % 8.3 %
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The following table provides the expected future minimum maturities of lease obligations:
At December 31, 2024 Operating Leases Finance
Leases
2025 $ 4,789 $ 293
2026 4,166 285
2027 3,527 284
2028 2,885 286
2029 2,130 294
Thereafter 7,978 416
Total lease payments 25,475 1,858
Less: Imputed interest
( 4,551 ) ( 442 )
Total $ 20,924 $ 1,416
NOTE 9. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
We test goodwill for impairment at a reporting unit level, which is deemed to be our principal operating segments or one level below. With our annual impairment testing as of October 1, the calculated fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its book value.
During the third quarter of 2024, we updated the long-term strategic plan of our Business Wireline reporting unit. The updated plans reflected lower long-term projected future cash flows associated with the industry-wide secular decline, including a faster-than-previously anticipated decline of legacy services. We identified this as an impairment indicator and performed an interim quantitative goodwill impairment test of our Business Wireline reporting unit. The interim impairment test methodology was consistent with our approach for annual impairment testing (see Note 1), using similar models updated with our current view of key inputs and assumptions. We concluded that the calculated fair value of the Business Wireline reporting unit was lower than the book value, resulting in a goodwill impairment. As a result, in the third quarter of 2024, we recorded a noncash goodwill impairment charge of $ 4,422 in our consolidated statements of income, which represented the entirety of Business Wireline reporting unit goodwill.
In 2022, we recorded noncash impairment charges of $ 13,478 in our Business Wireline reporting unit, $ 10,508 in our Consumer Wireline reporting unit and the entire $ 826 in our Mexico reporting unit. The decline in fair values was primarily due to changes in the macroeconomic environment, namely increased weighted-average cost of capital. Also, inflation pressure and lower projected cash flows driven by secular declines, predominantly at Business Wireline, impacted the fair values.
Changes to our goodwill in 2024 resulted from the noncash impairment discussed above. Changes to our goodwill in 2023 resulted from goodwill attributed to assets contributed to the formation of strategic joint ventures.
Our Communications segment has three reporting units: Mobility, Consumer Wireline and Business Wireline. Business Wireline goodwill was fully impaired in the third quarter of 2024. The reporting unit is deemed to be the operating segment for Latin America and its goodwill was fully impaired in 2022. At December 31, 2024, accumulated goodwill impairments totaled $ 29,234 .
The following table sets forth the changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for the Communications segment:
2024 2023
Balance at
Jan. 1 Impairment Balance at
Dec. 31 Balance at
Jan. 1 Dispositions
and other Balance at
Dec. 31
Communications
Goodwill $ 91,840 $ — $ 91,840 $ 91,881 $ ( 41 ) $ 91,840
Accumulated Impairments ( 23,986 ) ( 4,422 ) ( 28,408 ) ( 23,986 ) — ( 23,986 )
Total $ 67,854 $ ( 4,422 ) $ 63,432 $ 67,895 $ ( 41 ) $ 67,854
We review amortizing intangible assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable over the remaining life of the asset or asset group.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Indefinite-lived wireless licenses increased in 2024 primarily due to compensable relocation and incentive payments and $ 199 of capitalized interest. Indefinite-lived wireless licenses increased in 2023 primarily due to compensable relocation and incentive payments and $ 695 of capitalized interest. (See Notes 6 and 23)
Our other intangible assets at December 31 are summarized as follows:
2024 2023
Other Intangible Assets Weighted-Average
Life
Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization Currency
Translation
Adjustment Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization Currency
Translation
Adjustment
Amortized intangible
assets:
Wireless licenses
21.6 years $ 2,999 $ 696 $ ( 343 ) $ 3,034 $ 572 $ 23
Customer lists and
relationships
10.0 years 349 275 ( 74 ) 379 286 ( 74 )
Trademarks, trade names
and other
12.6 years 43 23 ( 6 ) 289 261 ( 5 )
Total 21.6 years $ 3,391 $ 994 $ ( 423 ) $ 3,702 $ 1,119 $ ( 56 )
Indefinite-lived intangible assets not subject to amortization:
Wireless licenses $ 125,075 $ 124,734
Trade names 5,241 5,241
Total $ 130,316 $ 129,975
Amortized intangible assets are definite-life assets, and, as such, we record amortization expense based on a method that most appropriately reflects our expected cash flows from these assets. Amortization expense for definite-life intangible assets was $ 159 for the year ended December 31, 2024, $ 184 for the year ended December 31, 2023 and $ 169 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Estimated amortization expense for the next five years is: $ 129 for 2025, $ 131 for 2026, $ 130 for 2027, $ 130 for 2028 and $ 130 for 2029.
NOTE 10. EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS
Investments in partnerships, joint ventures and less than majority-owned subsidiaries in which we have significant influence are accounted for under the equity method.
Our investments in equity affiliates at December 31, 2024, primarily included our interests in DIRECTV and Gigapower.
DIRECTV We account for our investment in DIRECTV under the equity method of accounting. DIRECTV is considered a variable interest entity for accounting purposes. As DIRECTV is jointly governed by a board with representation from both AT&T and TPG Capital (TPG), with TPG having tie-breaking authority on certain key decisions, most significantly the appointment and removal of the CEO, we have concluded that we are not the primary beneficiary of DIRECTV. The initial fair value of the equity considerations at the date of acquisition was $ 6,852 , which was determined using a discounted cash flow model reflecting distribution rights and preference of the individual instruments.
The ownership interests in DIRECTV, based on seniority, are as follows:
• Preferred units with distribution rights of $ 1,800 held by TPG, which have been fully distributed.
• Junior preferred units with distribution rights of $ 4,250 held by AT&T, which were fully distributed as of December 31, 2023.
• Distribution preference associated with Common units of $ 4,200 held by AT&T, of which $ 1,370 of distribution rights remain as of December 31, 2024.
• Common units, with 70 % held by AT&T and 30 % held by TPG.
On September 29, 2024, we agreed to sell our interest in DIRECTV to TPG for approximately $ 7,600 in cash payments through 2029, inclusive of third-quarter and fourth-quarter 2024 combined distributions of $ 1,695 . In addition to quarterly distributions through 2025, including payout of common catch-up units, this consideration includes notes payable to AT&T of approximately
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Dollars in millions except per share amounts
$ 2,550 and a dividend of $ 1,150 . The transaction is expected to close in mid-2025, pending customary closing conditions. We expect a gain on sale, whose amount will be dependent on the timing of close.
Beginning in third-quarter 2024, our investment in DIRECTV was reduced to zero on our consolidated balance sheet, resulting from aggregate cash receipts exceeding our initial investment balance plus our cumulative equity in DIRECTV earnings. As we are not committed, implicitly or explicitly, to provide financial or other support to DIRECTV, we record cash distributions received in excess of our share of DIRECTV’s earnings in “Equity in net income of affiliates” in the consolidated statements of income and as cash provided by operations in the consolidated statements of cash flows.
During 2024, 2023 and 2022, we recognized $ 2,027 , $ 1,666 and $ 1,808 of equity in net income of affiliates and received total distributions of $ 2,955 , $ 3,715 and $ 4,457 , respectively, from DIRECTV. The book value of our investment in DIRECTV was $ 0 and $ 877 at December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Our share of net income or loss may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest of DIRECTV as the terms of the arrangement prescribe substantive non-proportionate cash distributions, both from operations and in liquidation, that are based on classes of interests held by investors. In the event that DIRECTV records a loss, that loss will be allocated to ownership interests based on their seniority, beginning with the most subordinated interests.
Gigapower On May 11, 2023, we closed our transaction with BlackRock, through a fund managed by its Diversified Infrastructure business, related to Gigapower, LLC (Gigapower). We hold a 50 % interest in this joint venture, which provides a fiber network in select areas to internet service providers and other businesses across the U.S. We deconsolidated Gigapower’s operations and began accounting for it as an equity method investment on May 12, 2023.
SKY Mexico In June 2024, we sold our 41.3 % interest in SKY Mexico, a leading pay-TV provider in Mexico.
The following table presents summarized financial information for DIRECTV and our other equity method investments, consisting primarily of Gigapower, SKY Mexico (prior to disposition) and certain sports-related programming investments, at December 31, or for the year then ended:
2024 2023 2022
Income Statements 1,2
Operating revenues $ 20,003 $ 22,938 $ 25,794
Operating income 2,343 2,873 3,175
Net income 1,811 2,393 2,581
Balance Sheets 2
Current assets 2,857 3,058
Noncurrent assets 9,496 12,203
Current liabilities 5,312 5,148
Noncurrent liabilities 7,389 8,193
1 Does not include Gigapower for periods prior to May 2023.
2 Does not include SKY Mexico after disposition in June 2024.
The following table is a reconciliation of our investments in equity affiliates as presented on our consolidated balance sheets:
2024 2023
Beginning of year $ 1,251 $ 3,533
Additional investments 117 135
Distributions from DIRECTV in excess of cumulative equity in earnings ( 928 ) ( 2,049 )
Dividends and distributions of cumulative earnings received ( 2,033 ) ( 1,668 )
Equity in net income of affiliates 1,989 1,675
Impairments ( 155 ) ( 450 )
Currency translation adjustments — 61
Other adjustments 54 14
End of year $ 295 $ 1,251
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
NOTE 11. DEBT
Long-term debt of AT&T and its subsidiaries, including interest rates and maturities, is summarized as follows at December 31:
2024 2023
Notes and debentures
Interest Rates 1
Maturities
0.00 % –
2.99 % 2024 – 2033 $ 21,860 $ 24,560
3.00 % –
4.99 % 2024 – 2061 83,725 87,855
5.00 % –
6.99 % 2024 – 2095 22,679 27,286
7.00 % –
8.75 % 2024 – 2097 3,565 3,639
Fair value of interest rate swaps recorded in debt 6 7
131,835 143,347
Unamortized (discount) premium – net ( 9,340 ) ( 9,509 )
Unamortized issuance costs ( 379 ) ( 436 )
Total notes and debentures 122,116 133,402
Finance lease obligations 1,416 1,838
Total long-term debt, including current maturities 123,532 135,240
Current maturities of long-term debt ( 5,089 ) ( 7,386 )
Total long-term debt $ 118,443 $ 127,854
1 Foreign debt includes the impact from hedges, when applicable.
We had outstanding Euro, British pound sterling, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc and Australian dollar denominated debt of approximately $ 30,685 and $ 35,192 at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The weighted-average interest rate of our long-term debt portfolio, including credit agreement borrowings and the impact of derivatives, was approximately 4.2 % as of December 31, 2024 and as of December 31, 2023.
Debt maturing within one year consisted of the following at December 31:
2024 2023
Current maturities of long-term debt $ 5,089 $ 7,386
Commercial paper — 2,091
Total $ 5,089 $ 9,477
The weighted average interest rate on our outstanding short-term borrowings, comprised solely of commercial paper, was approximately 6.0 % as of December 31, 2023.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Financing Activities
During 2024, we repaid $ 10,112 of long-term debt and credit agreement borrowings with a weighted average interest rate of 4.1 %. Our debt activity during 2024 primarily consisted of the following:
First
Quarter Second
Quarter Third
Quarter Fourth
Quarter Full Year 2024
Net commercial paper borrowings $ 428 $ 262 $ ( 2,686 ) $ — $ ( 1,996 )
Repayments:
USD notes
$ ( 2,300 ) $ ( 1,615 ) $ — $ ( 2,575 ) $ ( 6,490 )
EUR notes
( 2,181 ) ( 32 ) — — ( 2,213 )
CAD notes — ( 442 ) — — ( 442 )
CHF notes
— — — ( 467 ) ( 467 )
Other ( 204 ) ( 136 ) ( 203 ) ( 142 ) ( 685 )
Repayments of long-term debt $ ( 4,685 ) $ ( 2,225 ) $ ( 203 ) $ ( 3,184 ) $ ( 10,297 )
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we were in compliance with all covenants and conditions of instruments governing our debt. Substantially all of our outstanding long-term debt is unsecured. Maturities of outstanding long-term notes and debentures, as of December 31, 2024, and the corresponding weighted-average interest rate scheduled for repayment are as follows:
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Thereafter
Debt repayments 1,2
$ 5,399 $ 8,652 $ 6,310 $ 6,905 $ 6,918 $ 101,768
Weighted-average interest rate 2
4.7 % 3.1 % 3.7 % 3.2 % 4.6 % 4.2 %
1 Debt repayments represent maturity value. Foreign debt includes the impact from hedges, when applicable.
2 Includes credit agreement borrowings.
Credit Facilities
General
In November 2022, we entered into and drew on a $ 2,500 term loan agreement due February 16, 2025 (Term Loan), with Mizuho Bank, Ltd., as agent. On March 30, 2023, the $ 2,500 Term Loan was paid off and terminated.
Revolving Credit Agreement
We currently have a $ 12,000 revolving credit agreement that terminates on November 18, 2029 (Revolving Credit Agreement), for which we extended the termination date, pursuant to the terms of the agreement, by one year in November 2024. No amount was outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2024.
Our Revolving Credit Agreement contains covenants that are customary for an issuer with investment grade senior debt credit rating as well as a net debt-to-EBITDA financial ratio covenant requiring AT&T to maintain, as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, a ratio of not more than 3.75 -to-1.
The events of default are customary for agreements of this type and such events would result in the acceleration of, or would permit the lenders to accelerate, as applicable, required payments and would increase each agreement’s relevant Applicable Margin by 2.00 % per annum.
The obligations of the lenders under the Revolving Credit Agreement to provide advances will terminate on November 18, 2029, unless the commitments are terminated in whole prior to that date. All advances must be repaid no later than the date on which lenders are no longer obligated to make any advances under the Revolving Credit Agreement.
The Revolving Credit Agreement provides that we have the right to terminate, in whole or in part, amounts committed by the lenders under the credit agreement in excess of any outstanding advances; however, any such terminated commitments may not be reinstated.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Advances under the Revolving Credit Agreement would bear interest, at our option, either:
• at a variable annual rate equal to: (1) the highest of (but not less than zero) (a) the rate of interest announced publicly by Citibank in New York, New York, from time to time, as Citibank’s base rate, (b) 0.5 % per annum above the federal funds rate, and (c) the forward-looking term rate based on the secured overnight financing rate (Term SOFR) for a period of one month plus a credit spread adjustment of 0.10 % plus 1.00 %, plus (2) an applicable margin, as set forth in the credit agreement (the “Applicable Margin for Base Advances”); or
• at a rate equal to: (i) Term SOFR for a period of one, three or six months, as applicable, plus (ii) a credit spread adjustment of 0.10 %, plus (iii) an applicable margin, as set forth in the Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Applicable Margin for Benchmark Rate Advances”).
We pay a facility fee of 0.060 %, 0.070 %, 0.080 % or 0.100 % per annum of the amount of the lender commitments, depending on AT&T’s credit rating.
NOTE 12. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS AND DISCLOSURE
The Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure framework in ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” provides a three-tiered fair value hierarchy based on the reliability of the inputs used to determine fair value. Level 1 refers to fair values determined based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets. Level 2 refers to fair values estimated using significant other observable inputs, and Level 3 includes fair values estimated using significant unobservable inputs.
The level of an asset or liability within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our valuation techniques maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.
The valuation methodologies described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of future net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. We believe our valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants. The use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date. There have been no changes in the methodologies used since December 31, 2023.
Long-Term Debt and Other Financial Instruments
The carrying amounts and estimated fair values of our long-term debt, including current maturities, and other financial instruments are summarized as follows:
December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023
Carrying
Amount Fair
Value Carrying
Amount Fair
Value
Notes and debentures 1
$ 122,116 $ 114,167 $ 133,402 $ 128,474
Commercial paper — — 2,091 2,091
Investment securities 2
1,603 1,603 2,836 2,836
1 Includes credit agreement borrowings.
2 Excludes investments accounted for under the equity method.
The carrying amount of debt with an original maturity of less than one year approximates fair value. The fair value measurements used for notes and debentures are considered Level 2 and are determined using various methods, including quoted prices for identical or similar securities in both active and inactive markets.
Following is the fair value leveling for investment securities that are measured at fair value and derivatives as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. Derivatives designated as hedging instruments are reflected as “Prepaid and other current assets,”
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
“Other Assets,” “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities,” and “Other noncurrent liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets.
December 31, 2024
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Equity Securities
Domestic equities $ 484 $ — $ — $ 484
International equities 8 — — 8
Fixed income equities 178 — — 178
Available-for-Sale Debt Securities — 689 — 689
Asset Derivatives
Cross-currency swaps — 87 — 87
Liability Derivatives
Cross-currency swaps — ( 4,163 ) — ( 4,163 )
December 31, 2023
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Equity Securities
Domestic equities $ 1,002 $ — $ — $ 1,002
International equities 215 — — 215
Fixed income equities 209 — — 209
Available-for-Sale Debt Securities — 1,228 — 1,228
Asset Derivatives
Cross-currency swaps — 424 — 424
Liability Derivatives
Interest rate swaps — ( 2 ) — ( 2 )
Cross-currency swaps — ( 3,601 ) — ( 3,601 )
Investment Securities
Our investment securities include both equity and debt securities that are measured at fair value, as well as equity securities without readily determinable fair values. A substantial portion of the fair values of our investment securities is estimated based on quoted market prices. Investments in equity securities not traded on a national securities exchange are valued at cost, less any impairment, and adjusted for changes resulting from observable, orderly transactions for identical or similar securities. Investments in debt securities not traded on a national securities exchange are valued using pricing models, quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics or discounted cash flows.
The components comprising total gains and losses in the period on equity securities are as follows:
For the years ended December 31, 2024 2023 2022
Total gains (losses) recognized on equity securities $ 209 $ 257 $ ( 309 )
Gains (Losses) recognized on equity securities sold ( 52 ) 89 ( 80 )
Unrealized gains (losses) recognized on equity securities held at end of period $ 261 $ 168 $ ( 229 )
At December 31, 2024, available-for-sale debt securities totaling $ 689 have maturities as follows - less than one year: $ 66 ; one to three years: $ 120 ; three to five years: $ 99 ; five or more years: $ 404 .
Our cash equivalents (money market securities) and short-term investments (certificate and time deposits) are recorded at amortized cost, and the respective carrying amounts approximate fair values. Short-term investments are recorded in “Prepaid and other current assets” and our investment securities are recorded in “Other Assets” on the consolidated balance sheets.
Derivative Financial Instruments
We enter into derivative transactions to manage certain market risks, primarily interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange risk. This includes the use of interest rate swaps, interest rate locks, foreign exchange forward contracts and combined interest
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
rate foreign exchange contracts (cross-currency swaps). We do not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. We record derivatives on our consolidated balance sheets at fair value that is derived from observable market data, including yield curves and foreign exchange rates (all of our derivatives are Level 2). Cash flows associated with derivative instruments are presented in the same category on the consolidated statements of cash flows as the item being hedged.
Fair Value Hedging Periodically, we enter into and designate fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps as fair value hedges. The purpose of these swaps is to manage interest rate risk by managing our mix of fixed-rate and floating-rate debt. These swaps involve the receipt of fixed-rate amounts for floating interest rate payments over the life of the swaps without exchange of the underlying principal amount.
We also designate most of our cross-currency swaps and foreign exchange contracts as fair value hedges. The purpose of these contracts is to hedge foreign currency risk associated with changes in spot rates on foreign-denominated debt. For cross-currency hedges, we have elected to exclude the change in fair value of the swap related to both time value and cross-currency basis spread from the assessment of hedge effectiveness. For foreign exchange contracts, we have elected to exclude the change in fair value of forward points from the assessment of hedge effectiveness.
Unrealized and realized gains or losses from fair value hedges impact the same category on the consolidated statements of income as the item being hedged, including the earnings impact of excluded components. In instances where we have elected to exclude components from the assessment of hedge effectiveness related to fair value hedges, unrealized gains or losses on such excluded components are recorded as a component of accumulated OCI and recognized into earnings over the life of the hedging instrument. Unrealized gains on derivatives designated as fair value hedges are recorded at fair value as assets, and unrealized losses are recorded at fair market value as liabilities. Except for excluded components, changes in the fair value of derivative instruments designated as fair value hedges are offset against the change in fair value of the hedged assets or liabilities through earnings. In the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, no ineffectiveness was measured on fair value hedges.
Cash Flow Hedging We designate some of our cross-currency swaps as cash flow hedges to hedge our exposure to variability in expected future cash flows that are attributable to foreign currency risk and interest rate risk generated from our foreign-denominated debt. These agreements include initial and final exchanges of principal from fixed foreign denominated amounts to fixed U.S. dollar denominated amounts, to be exchanged at a specified rate that is usually determined by the market spot rate upon issuance. They also include an interest rate swap of a fixed or floating foreign denominated interest rate to a fixed U.S. dollar denominated interest rate.
On September 30, 2022, we de-designated most of our cross-currency swaps from cash flow hedges and re-designated these swaps as fair value hedges. The amount remaining in accumulated other comprehensive loss related to cash flow hedges on the de-designation date was $ 1,857 . The amount will be reclassified to earnings when the hedged item is recognized in earnings or when it becomes probable that the forecasted transactions will not occur. The election of fair value hedge designation for cross-currency swaps does not have an impact on our financial results.
Unrealized gains on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges are recorded at fair value as assets, and unrealized losses are recorded at fair value as liabilities. For derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges, changes in fair value are reported as a component of accumulated OCI and are reclassified into the consolidated statements of income in the same period the hedged transaction affects earnings.
Periodically, we enter into and designate interest rate locks to partially hedge the risk of changes in interest payments attributable to increases in the benchmark interest rate during the period leading up to the probable issuance of fixed-rate debt. We designate our interest rate locks as cash flow hedges. Gains and losses when we settle our interest rate locks are amortized into income over the life of the related debt. Over the next 12 months, we expect to reclassify $ 59 from accumulated OCI to “Interest expense” due to the amortization of net losses on historical interest rate locks.
Collateral and Credit-Risk Contingency We have entered into agreements with our derivative counterparties establishing collateral thresholds based on respective credit ratings and netting agreements. At December 31, 2024, we had posted collateral of $ 188 (a deposit asset) and held collateral of $ 0 (a receipt liability). Under the agreements, if AT&T’s credit rating had been downgraded two ratings levels by Fitch Ratings, one level by S&P and one level by Moody’s, before the final collateral exchange in December, we would have been required to post additional collateral of $ 52 . If AT&T’s credit rating had been downgraded three ratings levels by Fitch Ratings, two levels by S&P and two levels by Moody’s, we would have been required to post additional collateral of $ 3,986 . At December 31, 2023, we had posted collateral of $ 670 (a deposit asset) and held collateral of $ 5 (a receipt liability). We do not offset the fair value of collateral, whether the right to reclaim cash collateral (a receivable) or the obligation to return cash collateral (a payable) exists, against the fair value of the derivative instruments.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Following are the notional amounts of our outstanding derivative positions at December 31:
2024 2023
Interest rate swaps $ — $ 1,750
Cross-currency swaps 34,884 38,006
Total $ 34,884 $ 39,756
Following are the related hedged items affecting our financial position and performance:
Effect of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Income
Fair Value Hedging Relationships
For the years ended December 31, 2024 2023 2022
Interest rate swaps (“Interest expense”):
Gain (loss) on interest rate swaps
$ ( 1 ) $ ( 6 ) $ ( 3 )
Gain (loss) on long-term debt
1 6 3
Cross-currency swaps:
Gain (loss) on cross-currency swaps
( 1,347 ) 1,121 2,195
Gain (loss) on long-term debt
1,347 ( 1,121 ) ( 2,195 )
Gain (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI
501 1,126 297
Foreign exchange contracts:
Gain (loss) on foreign exchange contracts
— 12 ( 12 )
Gain (loss) on long-term debt
— ( 12 ) 12
Gain (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI
— 12 ( 12 )
In addition, the net swap settlements that accrued and settled in the periods above were offset against “Interest expense.”
Cash Flow Hedging Relationships
For the years ended December 31, 2024 2023 2022
Cross-currency swaps:
Gain (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI
$ — $ 12 $ ( 1,119 )
Foreign exchange contracts:
Gain (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI
— — 3
Other income (expense) – net reclassified from
accumulated OCI into income
— — 1
Interest rate locks:
Interest income (expense) reclassified from
accumulated OCI into income
( 59 ) ( 59 ) ( 65 )
Other income (expense) reclassified from
accumulated OCI into income
— — ( 45 )
Distribution of WarnerMedia — — ( 12 )
Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements
In addition to assets and liabilities that are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, impairment indicators may subject goodwill and long-lived assets to nonrecurring fair value measurements. The implied fair values of the Business Wireline, Consumer Wireline and Mexico reporting units were estimated using both the discounted cash flow as well as market multiple approaches (see Note 9). The inputs to these models are considered Level 3.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
NOTE 13. INCOME TAXES
Significant components of our deferred tax liabilities (assets) are as follows at December 31:
2024 2023
Depreciation and amortization $ 36,531 $ 37,931
Licenses and nonamortizable intangibles 20,660 20,049
Lease right-of-use assets
5,103 5,100
Lease liabilities ( 5,107 ) ( 5,146 )
Employee benefits ( 3,017 ) ( 2,970 )
Deferred fulfillment costs 1,788 1,941
Equity in partnership 2,716 2,943
Net operating loss and other carryforwards ( 5,619 ) ( 6,484 )
Other – net 1,466 563
Subtotal 54,521 53,927
Deferred tax assets valuation allowance 4,338 4,656
Net deferred tax liabilities $ 58,859 $ 58,583
Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities $ 58,939 $ 58,666
Less: Noncurrent deferred tax assets ( 80 ) ( 83 )
Net deferred tax liabilities $ 58,859 $ 58,583
At December 31, 2024, we had combined net operating and capital loss carryforwards (tax effected) for federal income tax purposes of $ 692 , state of $ 683 and foreign of $ 2,447 , expiring through 2044. Additionally, we had federal credit carryforwards of $ 299 and state credit carryforwards of $ 1,498 , expiring primarily through 2044.
We recognize a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. Our valuation allowances at December 31, 2024 and 2023 related primarily to state and foreign net operating losses and state credit carryforwards.
We consider post-1986 unremitted foreign earnings subjected to the one-time transition tax not to be indefinitely reinvested as such earnings can be repatriated without any significant incremental tax costs. We consider other types of unremitted foreign earnings to be indefinitely reinvested. U.S. income and foreign withholding taxes have not been recorded on temporary differences related to investments in certain foreign subsidiaries as such differences are considered indefinitely reinvested. The amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability does not have a material impact on the financial statements.
We recognize the financial statement effects of a tax return position when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will ultimately be sustained. For tax positions that meet this recognition threshold, we apply our judgment, taking into account applicable tax laws, our experience in managing tax audits and relevant GAAP, to determine the amount of tax benefits to recognize in our financial statements. For each position, the difference between the benefit realized on our tax return and the benefit reflected in our financial statements is recorded on our consolidated balance sheets as an unrecognized tax benefit (UTB). We update our UTBs at each financial statement date to reflect the impacts of audit settlements and other resolutions of audit issues, the expiration of statutes of limitation, developments in tax law and ongoing discussions with taxing authorities.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
A reconciliation of the change in our UTB balance from January 1 to December 31 for 2024 and 2023 is as follows:
Federal, State and Foreign Tax 2024 2023
Balance at beginning of year $ 11,924 $ 9,657
Increases for tax positions related to the current year 369 1,026
Increases for tax positions related to prior years 1,017 448
Decreases for tax positions related to prior years ( 772 ) ( 212 )
Lapse of statute of limitations ( 8 ) ( 16 )
Settlements 3 1,021
Balance at end of year 12,533 11,924
Accrued interest and penalties 2,223 1,785
Gross unrecognized income tax benefits 14,756 13,709
Less: Deferred federal and state income tax benefits ( 849 ) ( 687 )
Less: Tax attributable to timing items included above ( 6,964 ) ( 6,438 )
Total UTB that, if recognized, would impact the
effective income tax rate as of the end of the year
$ 6,943 $ 6,584
Periodically we make deposits to taxing jurisdictions which reduce our UTB balance but are not included in the reconciliation above. The amount of deposits that reduced our UTB balance was $ 2,282 at December 31, 2024 and $ 2,361 at December 31, 2023. Current tax assets on our consolidated balance sheets were $ 2,236 at December 31, 2024 and $ 2,079 at December 31, 2023.
Accrued interest and penalties included in UTBs were $ 2,223 as of December 31, 2024 and $ 1,785 as of December 31, 2023. We record interest and penalties related to federal, state and foreign UTBs in income tax expense. The net interest and penalty expense (benefit) included in income tax expense was $ 474 for 2024, $ 324 for 2023 and $( 86 ) for 2022.
We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. As a large taxpayer, our income tax returns are regularly audited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other taxing authorities.
The IRS has completed field examinations of our tax returns through 2015. All audit periods prior to 2006 are closed for federal examination purposes, and we have effectively resolved all outstanding audit issues for years through 2010 with the IRS Appeals Division.
While we do not expect material changes, we are generally unable to estimate the range of impacts on the balance of the remaining uncertain tax positions or the impact on the effective tax rate from the resolution of these issues until each year is closed; it is possible that the amount of unrecognized benefit with respect to our uncertain tax positions could increase or decrease within the next 12 months.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The components of income tax (benefit) expense are as follows:
2024 2023 2022
Federal:
Current $ 2,769 $ 2,280 $ 579
Deferred 1,289 2,250 2,206
4,058 4,530 2,785
State and local:
Current 859 423 21
Deferred ( 512 ) ( 832 ) 912
347 ( 409 ) 933
Foreign:
Current 68 66 106
Deferred ( 28 ) 38 ( 44 )
40 104 62
Total $ 4,445 $ 4,225 $ 3,780
“Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes” in the consolidated statements of income included the following components for the years ended December 31:
2024 2023 2022
U.S. income (loss) before income taxes $ 16,674 $ 20,506 $ ( 1,480 )
Foreign income (loss) before income taxes 24 ( 658 ) ( 1,614 )
Total $ 16,698 $ 19,848 $ ( 3,094 )
A reconciliation of income tax expense (benefit) on continuing operations and the amount computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate of 21% to income from continuing operations before income taxes is as follows:
2024 2023 2022
Taxes computed at federal statutory rate $ 3,507 $ 4,168 $ ( 650 )
Increases (decreases) in income taxes resulting from:
State and local income taxes – net of federal income tax benefit 478 345 795
Tax on foreign investments 3 102 43
Noncontrolling interest ( 274 ) ( 259 ) ( 308 )
Permanent items and R&D credit
( 174 ) ( 207 ) ( 121 )
Audit resolutions
192 319 ( 642 )
Divestitures
— ( 75 ) ( 481 )
Goodwill impairment 1
929 9 5,210
Other – net ( 216 ) ( 177 ) ( 66 )
Total $ 4,445 $ 4,225 $ 3,780
Effective Tax Rate 26.6 % 21.3 % ( 122.2 ) %
1 Goodwill impairments are not deductible for tax purposes.
NOTE 14. PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS
We offer noncontributory pension programs covering the majority of domestic nonmanagement employees in our Communications business. Nonmanagement employees’ pension benefits are generally calculated using one of two formulas: a flat dollar amount applied to years of service according to job classification, or a cash balance plan with negotiated annual pension band credits as well as interest credits. Most employees can elect to receive their pension benefits in either a lump sum payment or an annuity.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Pension programs covering U.S. management employees are closed to new entrants. These programs continue to provide benefits to participants that were generally hired before January 1, 2015, who receive benefits under either cash balance pension programs that include annual or monthly credits based on salary as well as interest credits, or a traditional pension formula (i.e., a stated percentage of employees’ adjusted career income).
We also provide a variety of medical, dental and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees under various plans and accrue actuarially determined postretirement benefit costs as active employees earn these benefits.
On April 26, 2023, AT&T and State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, as independent fiduciary of the AT&T Pension Benefit Plan (Plan), entered into a commitment agreement with subsidiaries of Athene Holding Ltd. (Athene) under which AT&T agreed to purchase nonparticipating single premium group annuity contracts that would transfer to Athene $ 8,067 of the Plan’s defined benefit pension obligations related to certain retirees, participants and beneficiaries under the Plan.
The purchase of the group annuity contracts closed on May 3, 2023, covering approximately 96,000 AT&T participants and beneficiaries (Transferred Participants). Under the group annuity contracts, Athene, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Athene Annuity and Life Company and Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company of New York, made an irrevocable commitment, and is solely responsible, to pay the pension benefits of each Transferred Participant beginning with their August 2023 pension payments. The transaction does not change the amount of pension benefits payable to the Transferred Participants.
The purchase of the group annuity contracts was funded directly by assets of the Plan via the pension trust underlying the Plan and required no cash or asset contributions by AT&T. We transferred $ 8,067 of pension benefit obligation and related plan assets upon close of the transaction and recognized a pre-tax pension settlement gain of $ 363 . The funded status of the Plan did not materially change due to this transaction.
This transaction with Athene was considered a settlement for accounting purposes and required us to remeasure our pension plan assets and obligations at quarter-end for the second and third quarters of 2023.
Obligations and Funded Status
For defined benefit pension plans, the benefit obligation is the projected benefit obligation, the actuarial present value, as of our December 31 measurement date, of all benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered to that date. The amount of benefit to be paid depends on a number of future events incorporated into the pension benefit formula, including estimates of the average life of employees and their beneficiaries and average years of service rendered. It is measured based on assumptions concerning future interest rates and future employee compensation levels as applicable.
For postretirement benefit plans, the benefit obligation is the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation, the actuarial present value as of the measurement date of all future benefits attributed under the terms of the postretirement benefit plans to employee service.
The following table presents the change in the projected benefit obligation for the years ended December 31:
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2024 2023 2024 2023
Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 33,227 $ 42,828 $ 6,693 $ 7,280
Service cost - benefits earned during the period 487 477 22 23
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation 1,586 1,876 310 340
Amendments — — — ( 42 )
Actuarial (gain) loss ( 1,909 ) 976 84 278
Benefits paid, including settlements ( 2,447 ) ( 4,863 ) ( 770 ) ( 1,186 )
Group annuity contract transfer
— ( 8,067 ) — —
Benefit obligation at end of year $ 30,944 $ 33,227 $ 6,339 $ 6,693
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The following table presents the change in the fair value of plan assets for the years ended December 31 and the plans’ funded status at December 31:
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2024 2023 2024 2023
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 30,098 $ 40,874 $ 1,763 $ 2,160
Actual return on plan assets 265 1,791 117 227
Benefits paid, including settlements 1
( 2,447 ) ( 4,863 ) ( 736 ) ( 624 )
Contributions 3 — — —
Group annuity contract transfer
— ( 7,704 ) — —
Fair value of plan assets at end of year 27,919 30,098 1,144 1,763
Unfunded status at end of year 2
$ ( 3,025 ) $ ( 3,129 ) $ ( 5,195 ) $ ( 4,930 )
1 At our discretion, certain postretirement benefits may be paid from our cash accounts, which does not reduce Voluntary Employee Benefit Association (VEBA) assets. Future benefit payments may be made from VEBA trusts and thus reduce those asset balances.
2 Funded status is not indicative of our ability to pay ongoing pension benefits or of our obligation to fund retirement trusts. Required pension funding is determined in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), and applicable regulations.
Amounts recognized on our consolidated balance sheets at December 31 are listed below:
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2024 2023 2024 2023
Current portion of employee benefit obligation 1
$ — $ — $ ( 455 ) $ ( 521 )
Employee benefit obligation 2
( 3,025 ) ( 3,129 ) ( 4,740 ) ( 4,409 )
Net amount recognized $ ( 3,025 ) $ ( 3,129 ) $ ( 5,195 ) $ ( 4,930 )
1 Included in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities.”
2 Included in “Postemployment benefit obligation,” combined with international pension obligations and other postemployment obligations of $ 157 and $ 1,103 at December 31, 2024, and $ 152 and $ 1,044 at December 31, 2023, respectively.
The accumulated benefit obligation for our pension plans represents the actuarial present value of benefits based on employee service and compensation as of a certain date and does not include an assumption about future compensation levels. The accumulated benefit obligation for our pension plans was $ 30,322 at December 31, 2024, and $ 32,481 at December 31, 2023.
Net Periodic Benefit Cost and Other Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income
Periodic Benefit Costs
The service cost component of net periodic pension cost (credit) is recorded in operating expenses in the consolidated statements of income while the remaining components are recorded in “Other income (expense) – net.” Our combined net pension and postretirement cost (credit) recognized in our consolidated statements of income was $( 1,817 ), $( 1,017 ) and $( 4,789 ) for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The following table presents the components of net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2024 2023 2022 2024 2023 2022
Service cost – benefits earned
during the period
$ 487 $ 477 $ 617 $ 22 $ 23 $ 32
Interest cost on projected benefit
obligation
1,586 1,876 1,747 310 340 277
Expected return on assets ( 2,212 ) ( 2,533 ) ( 3,107 ) ( 61 ) ( 130 ) ( 112 )
Amortization of prior service credit ( 87 ) ( 133 ) ( 133 ) ( 1,928 ) ( 2,472 ) ( 2,558 )
Net periodic benefit cost (credit) before
remeasurement
( 226 ) ( 313 ) ( 876 ) ( 1,657 ) ( 2,239 ) ( 2,361 )
Actuarial (gain) loss 38 1,717 ( 115 ) 28 181 ( 1,437 )
Settlement (gain) loss
— ( 363 ) — — — —
Net pension and postretirement
cost (credit)
$ ( 188 ) $ 1,041 $ ( 991 ) $ ( 1,629 ) $ ( 2,058 ) $ ( 3,798 )
Other Changes in Benefit Obligations Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income
The following table presents the after-tax changes in benefit obligations recognized in OCI and the after-tax prior service credits that were amortized from OCI into net periodic benefit costs:
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2024 2023 2022 2024 2023 2022
Balance at beginning of year $ 216 $ 316 $ 416 $ 4,523 $ 6,354 $ 6,496
Prior service (cost) credit — — — — 32 1,786
Amortization of prior service credit ( 66 ) ( 100 ) ( 100 ) ( 1,457 ) ( 1,863 ) ( 1,928 )
Total recognized in other
comprehensive (income) loss
( 66 ) ( 100 ) ( 100 ) ( 1,457 ) ( 1,831 ) ( 142 )
Balance at end of year $ 150 $ 216 $ 316 $ 3,066 $ 4,523 $ 6,354
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Assumptions
In determining the projected benefit obligation and the net pension and postretirement benefit cost, we used the following significant weighted-average assumptions:
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2024 2023 2022 2024 2023 2022
Weighted-average discount rate for determining benefit obligation at December 31 5.70 % 5.00 % 5.20 % 5.60 % 5.00 % 5.20 %
Discount rate in effect for determining
service cost 1
5.10 % 5.40 % 4.40 % 5.10 % 5.20 % 4.00 %
Discount rate in effect for determining interest cost 1
4.90 % 5.30 % 3.90 % 4.90 % 5.10 % 3.20 %
Weighted-average interest credit rate for cash balance pension programs 2
4.60 % 4.20 % 4.10 % — % — % — %
Long-term rate of return on plan assets 7.75 % 7.50 % 6.75 % 4.00 % 6.50 % 4.50 %
Composite rate of compensation
increase for determining benefit
obligation
3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 %
Composite rate of compensation
increase for determining net cost
(credit)
3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 %
1 Weighted-average discount rates shown for years with interim remeasurements: 2023 and 2022 for pension benefits and 2022 for postretirement benefits.
2 Weighted-average interest crediting rates for cash balance pension programs relate only to the cash balance portion of total pension benefits. A 0.50 % increase in the weighted-average interest crediting rate would increase the pension benefit obligation by $ 150 .
We recognize gains and losses on pension and postretirement plan assets and obligations immediately in “Other income (expense) – net” in our consolidated statements of income. These gains and losses are generally measured annually as of December 31 and accordingly, will normally be recorded during the fourth quarter, unless an earlier remeasurement is required. Should actual experience differ from actuarial assumptions, the projected pension benefit obligation and net pension cost and accumulated postretirement benefit obligation and postretirement benefit cost would be affected in future years.
Discount Rate Our assumed weighted-average discount rates for pension and postretirement benefits of 5.70 % and 5.60 % respectively, at December 31, 2024, reflect the hypothetical rate at which the projected benefit obligation could be effectively settled or paid out to participants. We determined our discount rates based on a range of factors, including a yield curve composed of the rates of return on several hundred high-quality, fixed income corporate bonds available at the measurement date and corresponding to the related expected durations of future cash outflows. These bonds had an average rating of at least Aa3 or AA- by the nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, denominated in U.S. dollars, and generally not callable, convertible or index linked. For the year ended December 31, 2024, when compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, we increased our pension discount rate by 0.70 %, resulting in a decrease in our pension plan benefit obligation of $ 1,994 , and increased our postretirement discount rate by 0.60 %, resulting in a decrease in our postretirement benefit obligation of $ 317 . For the year ended December 31, 2023, we decreased our pension discount rate by 0.20 %, resulting in an increase in our pension plan benefit obligation of $ 916 , and decreased our postretirement discount rate by 0.20 %, resulting in an increase in our postretirement benefit obligation of $ 110 .
We utilize a full yield curve approach in the estimation of the service and interest components of net periodic benefit costs for pension and other postretirement benefits. Under this approach, we apply discounting using individual spot rates from a yield curve composed of the rates of return on several hundred high-quality, fixed income corporate bonds available at the measurement date. These spot rates align to each of the projected benefit obligations and service cost cash flows. The service cost component relates to the active participants in the plan, so the relevant cash flows on which to apply the yield curve are considerably longer in duration on average than the total projected benefit obligation cash flows, which also include benefit payments to retirees. Interest cost is computed by multiplying each spot rate by the corresponding discounted projected benefit obligation cash flows. The full yield curve approach reduces any actuarial gains and losses based upon interest rate expectations (e.g., built-in gains in interest cost in an upward sloping yield curve scenario), or gains and losses merely resulting from the timing and magnitude of cash outflows associated with our benefit obligations. Neither the annual measurement of our total benefit obligations nor annual net benefit cost is affected by the full yield curve approach.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Expected Long-Term Rate of Return In 2025, our expected long-term rate of return is 7.75 % on pension plan assets and 4.00 % on postretirement plan assets. Our long-term rates of return reflect the average rate of earnings expected on the funds invested, or to be invested, to provide for the benefits included in the projected benefit obligations. In setting the long-term assumed rate of return, management considers capital markets’ future expectations, the asset mix of the plans’ investment and average historical asset return. Actual long-term returns can, in relatively stable markets, also serve as a factor in determining future expectations. We consider many factors that include, but are not limited to, historical returns on plan assets, current market information on long-term returns (e.g., long-term bond rates) and current and target asset allocations between asset categories. The target asset allocation is determined based on consultations with external investment advisers. If all other factors were to remain unchanged, we expect that a 0.50 % decrease in the expected long-term rate of return would cause 2025 combined pension and postretirement cost to increase $ 136 . However, any differences in the rate and actual returns will be included with the actuarial gain or loss recorded in the fourth quarter when our plans are remeasured.
Composite Rate of Compensation Increase Our expected composite rate of compensation increase cost of 3.00 % in 2024 and 2023 reflects the long-term average rate of salary increases.
Healthcare Cost Trend Our healthcare cost trend assumptions are developed based on historical cost data, the near-term outlook and an assessment of likely long-term trends. Based on our assessment of expectations of healthcare industry inflation, our 2025 assumed annual healthcare prescription drug cost trend and medical cost trend for eligible participants will increase to 8.25 %, grading down to an ultimate trend rate of 4.25 % in 2032. This change in initial and ultimate assumptions increased our obligation by $ 144 . For 2024, our assumed annual healthcare prescription drug cost trend and medical cost trend for eligible participants remained at an annual and ultimate trend rate of 4.50 %.
Plan Assets
Plan assets consist primarily of private and public equity, government and corporate bonds, and real assets (real estate and natural resources). The asset allocations of the pension plans are maintained to meet ERISA requirements. Any plan contributions, as determined by ERISA regulations, are made to a pension trust for the benefit of plan participants. We do not have significant ERISA required contributions to our pension plans for 2025.
We maintain VEBA trusts to partially fund postretirement benefits; however, there are no ERISA or regulatory requirements that these postretirement benefit plans be funded annually.
The principal investment objectives are to ensure the availability of funds to pay pension and postretirement benefits as they become due under a broad range of future economic scenarios, maximize long-term investment return with an acceptable level of risk based on our pension and postretirement obligations, and diversify broadly across and within the capital markets to insulate asset values against adverse experience in any one market. Each asset class has broadly diversified characteristics. Substantial biases toward any particular investing style or type of security are sought to be avoided by managing the aggregation of all accounts with portfolio benchmarks. Asset and benefit obligation forecasting studies are conducted periodically, generally every two to three years, or when significant changes have occurred in market conditions, benefits, participant demographics or funded status. Decisions regarding investment policy are made with an understanding of the effect of asset allocation on funded status, future contributions and projected expenses.
The plans’ weighted-average asset targets and actual allocations as a percentage of plan assets, including the notional exposure of future contracts by asset categories, at December 31 are as follows:
Pension Assets Postretirement (VEBA) Assets
Target 2024 2023 Target 2024 2023
Equity securities:
Domestic 7 % - 17 % 12 % 10 % 5 % - 15 % 10 % 16 %
International 4 % - 14 % 9 7 — % - 9 % 4 11
Fixed income securities 39 % - 49 % 44 47 7 % - 17 % 12 8
Real assets 14 % - 24 % 15 16 — % - 6 % 1 1
Private equity 11 % - 21 % 19 20 — % - 6 % 1 1
Other — % - 3 % 1 — 68 % - 78 % 72 63
Total 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %
Prior to April 2023, the pension trust held preferred equity interests in AT&T Mobility II LLC (Mobility II), the primary holding company for our wireless business. The preferred equity interests were repurchased in April 2023. (See Note 16)
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
At December 31, 2024, AT&T securities represented less than 1% of assets held by our pension trust. The VEBA trusts do not hold AT&T securities.
Investment Valuation
Investments are stated at fair value. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability at the measurement date.
Investments in securities traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last reported sales price on the final business day of the year. If no sale was reported on that date, they are valued at the last reported bid price. Investments in securities not traded on a national securities exchange are valued using pricing models, quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics or discounted cash flows. Shares of registered investment companies are valued based on quoted market prices, which represent the net asset value of shares held at year-end.
Other commingled investment entities are valued at quoted redemption values that represent the net asset values of units held at year-end which management has determined approximates fair value.
Real estate and natural resource direct investments are valued at amounts based upon appraisal reports. Fixed income securities valuation is based upon observable prices for comparable assets, broker/dealer quotes (spreads or prices), or a pricing matrix that derives spreads for each bond based on external market data, including the current credit rating for the bonds, credit spreads to Treasuries for each credit rating, sector add-ons or credits, issue-specific add-ons or credits as well as call or other options.
Purchases and sales of securities are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses on sales of securities are determined on the basis of average cost. Interest income is recognized on the accrual basis. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date.
Non-interest bearing cash and overdrafts are valued at cost, which approximates fair value.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Fair Value Measurements
See Note 12 for a discussion of the fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value.
The following tables set forth by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the pension and postretirement assets and liabilities at fair value as of December 31, 2024:
Pension Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value
Level 1 Level 2
Level 3
Total
Non-interest bearing cash $ 146 $ — $ — $ 146
Interest bearing cash 23 — — 23
Foreign currency contracts — 2 — 2
Equity securities:
Domestic equities 2,608 — 2 2,610
International equities 1,145 — — 1,145
Fixed income securities:
Corporate bonds and other investments — 6,925 1 6,926
Government and municipal bonds — 4,274 — 4,274
Mortgage-backed securities — 267 — 267
Real estate and real assets — — 2,311 2,311
Securities lending collateral 643 961 — 1,604
Receivable for variation margin 4 — — 4
Assets at fair value 4,569 12,429 2,314 19,312
Investments sold short and other liabilities at fair value ( 152 ) ( 12 ) — ( 164 )
Total plan net assets at fair value $ 4,417 $ 12,417 $ 2,314 $ 19,148
Assets held at net asset value practical expedient
Private equity funds 5,138
Real estate funds 1,957
Commingled funds 3,895
Total assets held at net asset value practical expedient 10,990
Other assets (liabilities) 1
( 2,219 )
Total Plan Net Assets $ 27,919
1 Other assets (liabilities) include amounts receivable, accounts payable and net adjustment for securities lending payable.
Postretirement Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Interest bearing cash $ 816 $ 6 $ — $ 822
Equity securities:
Domestic equities 1 — — 1
Total plan net assets at fair value $ 817 $ 6 $ — $ 823
Assets held at net asset value practical expedient
Private equity funds 9
Real estate funds 9
Commingled funds 299
Total assets held at net asset value practical expedient 317
Other assets (liabilities) 1
4
Total Plan Net Assets $ 1,144
1 Other assets (liabilities) include amounts receivable and accounts payable.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The following tables set forth by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the pension and postretirement assets and liabilities at fair value as of December 31, 2023:
Pension Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Non-interest bearing cash $ 102 $ — $ — $ 102
Interest bearing cash 5 — — 5
Foreign currency contracts — 5 — 5
Equity securities:
Domestic equities 2,146 — 2 2,148
International equities 1,085 — — 1,085
Fixed income securities:
Corporate bonds and other investments — 7,584 1 7,585
Government and municipal bonds 1 4,856 — 4,857
Mortgage-backed securities — 329 — 329
Real estate and real assets — — 2,954 2,954
Securities lending collateral 719 985 — 1,704
Receivable for variation margin 2 — — 2
Assets at fair value 4,060 13,759 2,957 20,776
Investments sold short and other liabilities at fair value ( 147 ) ( 1 ) — ( 148 )
Total plan net assets at fair value $ 3,913 $ 13,758 $ 2,957 $ 20,628
Assets held at net asset value practical expedient
Private equity funds 5,889
Real estate funds 1,877
Commingled funds 3,863
Total assets held at net asset value practical expedient 11,629
Other assets (liabilities) 1
( 2,159 )
Total Plan Net Assets $ 30,098
1 Other assets (liabilities) include amounts receivable, accounts payable and net adjustment for securities lending payable.
Postretirement Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Interest bearing cash
$ 1,109 $ 3 $ — $ 1,112
Equity securities:
Domestic equities 1 — — 1
International equities — — 1 1
Total plan net assets at fair value $ 1,110 $ 3 $ 1 $ 1,114
Assets held at net asset value practical expedient
Private equity funds 8
Real estate funds 11
Commingled funds
624
Total assets held at net asset value practical expedient 643
Other assets (liabilities) 1
6
Total Plan Net Assets $ 1,763
1 Other assets (liabilities) include amounts receivable and accounts payable.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, our postretirement assets did not include significant investments in Level 3 assets, nor were there significant changes in fair value of those assets during the period. The tables below set forth a summary of changes in the fair value of the Level 3 pension assets:
Equities Fixed Income Funds Real Estate and Real Assets Total
Balance as of December 31, 2023
$ 2 $ 1 $ 2,954 $ 2,957
Realized gains (losses) — — 159 159
Unrealized gains (losses) — — ( 510 ) ( 510 )
Purchases — — 291 291
Sales — — ( 583 ) ( 583 )
Balance as of December 31, 2024
$ 2 $ 1 $ 2,311 $ 2,314
Equities Fixed Income Funds Real Estate and Real Assets Total
Balance as of December 31, 2022
$ 5,429 $ 1 $ 4,343 $ 9,773
Realized gains (losses) ( 639 ) — 569 ( 70 )
Unrealized gains (losses) 643 — ( 1,270 ) ( 627 )
Purchases — — 128 128
Sales ( 5,431 ) — ( 816 ) ( 6,247 )
Balance as of December 31, 2023
$ 2 $ 1 $ 2,954 $ 2,957
Estimated Future Benefit Payments
Expected benefit payments are estimated using the same assumptions used in determining our benefit obligation at December 31, 2024. Because benefit payments will depend on future employment and compensation levels; average years employed; average life spans; and payment elections, among other factors, changes in any of these assumptions could significantly affect these expected amounts. The following table provides expected benefit payments under our pension and postretirement plans:
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2025 $ 3,508 $ 672
2026 2,964 638
2027 2,919 627
2028 2,860 606
2029 2,808 518
Years 2030 - 2034 12,995 2,419
Supplemental Retirement Plans
We also provide certain senior- and middle-management employees with nonqualified, unfunded supplemental retirement and savings plans. While these plans are unfunded, we have assets in a designated non-bankruptcy remote trust that are independently managed and used to provide for certain of these benefits. These plans include supplemental pension benefits as well as compensation-deferral plans, some of which include a corresponding match by us based on a percentage of the compensation deferral. For our supplemental retirement plans, the projected benefit obligation was $ 1,305 and the net supplemental retirement pension cost was $ 18 at and for the year ended December 31, 2024. The projected benefit obligation was $ 1,437 and the net supplemental retirement pension cost was $ 87 at and for the year ended December 31, 2023.
We use the same significant assumptions for the composite rate of compensation increase in determining our projected benefit obligation and the net pension and postemployment benefit cost. Our discount rates of 5.50 % at December 31, 2024 and 4.90 % at December 31, 2023 were calculated using the same methodologies used in calculating the discount rates for our qualified pension and postretirement benefit plans.
Deferred compensation expense was $ 152 in 2024, $ 101 in 2023 and $ 94 in 2022.
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Contributory Savings Plans
We maintain contributory savings plans that cover substantially all employees. Under the savings plans, we match in cash or company stock a stated percentage of eligible employee contributions, subject to a specified ceiling. There are no debt-financed shares held by the Employee Stock Ownership Plans, allocated or unallocated.
Our match of employee contributions to the savings plans is fulfilled with purchases of our stock on the open market or company cash. Benefit cost, which is based on the cost of shares or units allocated to participating employees’ accounts or the cash contributed to participant accounts, was $ 565 , $ 570 and $ 611 for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
NOTE 15. SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS
Under our various share-based payment plans, senior and other management employees and nonemployee directors have received performance stock units and other nonvested stock units.
As of December 31, 2024, we were authorized to issue up to approximately 84 million shares of common stock (including shares that may be issued upon exercise of outstanding options or upon vesting of performance stock units or other nonvested stock units) pursuant to these various plans:
• Performance stock units, which are nonvested stock units, which are valued based upon the market price of our common stock at the date of grant and performance expectations. These distribute in the form of AT&T common stock and cash at the end of a three -year period, subject to the achievement of certain performance goals. We treat the cash-settled portion of these awards as a liability.
• Restricted stock and restricted stock units are valued at the market price of our common stock at the date of grant and do not have any performance conditions. Restricted stock predominantly vests over a three - to ten -year period and restricted stock units predominantly vest over a three -year period.
We account for our share-based payment arrangements based on the fair value of the awards on their respective grant date, which may affect our ability to fully realize the value shown on our consolidated balance sheets of deferred tax assets associated with compensation expense. We record a valuation allowance when our future taxable income is not expected to be sufficient to recover the asset. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the current stock price of our common shares will rise to levels sufficient to realize the entire tax benefit currently reflected on our consolidated balance sheets. However, to the extent we generate excess tax benefits (i.e., those additional tax benefits in excess of the deferred taxes associated with compensation expense previously recognized) the potential future impact on income would be reduced.
Our consolidated statements of income include the share-based compensation cost recognized for the plans described above as “Selling, general and administrative” expense. Those expenses, as well as the associated tax benefits, are reflected in the table below:
2024 2023 2022
Performance stock units $ 127 $ 79 $ 168
Restricted stock and stock units 378 400 350
Total $ 505 $ 479 $ 518
Income tax benefit $ 123 $ 118 $ 127
A summary of the status of our nonvested stock units as of December 31, 2024, and changes during the year then ended is presented as follows (shares in millions):
Nonvested Stock Units
Shares Weighted-Average Grant-
Date Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2024
28 $ 20.05
Granted 37 18.68
Vested ( 25 ) 18.42
Forfeited ( 3 ) 18.55
Nonvested at December 31, 2024
37 $ 19.88
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AT&T Inc.
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
As of December 31, 2024, there was $ 666 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based payment arrangements outstanding. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.21 years. The total fair value of shares vested during the year was $ 452 for 2024, compared to $ 592 for 2023 and $ 783 for 2022.
NOTE 16. STOCKHOLDERS’ AND MEZZANINE EQUITY
Authorized Shares We have authorized 14 billion common shares of AT&T stock and 10 million preferred shares of AT&T stock, each with a par value of $ 1.00 per share. Cumulative perpetual preferred shares consist of the following:
• Series A: 48 thousand shares outstanding at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, with a $ 25,000 per share liquidation preference and a dividend rate of 5.000 %.
• Series B: 20 thousand shares outstanding at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, with a € 100,000 per share liquidation preference, and an initial rate of 2.875 %, subject to reset after May 1, 2025. On January 31, 2025, we issued a call notice for the Series B cumulative preferred shares, with a redemption date of March 3, 2025.
• Series C: 70 thousand shares outstanding at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, with a $ 25,000 per share liquidation preference, and a dividend rate of 4.75 %.
So long as the quarterly preferred dividends are declared and paid on a timely basis on each series of preferred shares, there are no limitations on our ability to declare a dividend on or repurchase AT&T common shares. The preferred shares are optionally redeemable by AT&T at the liquidation price on or after five years from the issuance date, or upon certain other contingent events.
Stock Repurchase Program From time to time, we repurchase shares of common stock. Over the past few years, these repurchases have generally been for distribution through our employee benefit plans or in connection with certain acquisitions. In December 2024, the Board approved an authorization to repurchase up to $ 10,000 of common stock and terminated the March 2014 authorization.
To implement repurchase authorizations, we have used open market repurchases, relying on Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, where feasible. We also used accelerated share repurchase agreements with large financial institutions to repurchase our stock. During 2024, we repurchased approximately 36 thousand shares totaling $ 1 and during 2023, there were no shares repurchased under the March 2014 authorization.
Dividend Declarations In December 2024 and December 2023, AT&T declared a quarterly preferred dividend of $ 36 . In December 2024 and December 2023, AT&T declared a quarterly common dividend of $ 0.2775 per share of common stock.
Preferred Interests Issued by Subsidiaries We have issued cumulative perpetual preferred membership interests in certain subsidiaries. The preferred interests are entitled to cash distributions, subject to declaration.
Mobility II Preferred Interests
In 2018, we issued 320 million Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Membership Interests in Mobility II (Mobility preferred interests), which paid cash distributions of 7 % per annum, subject to declaration. So long as the distributions were declared and paid, the terms of the Mobility preferred interests did not impose any limitations on cash movements between affiliates, or our ability to declare a dividend on or repurchase AT&T shares. All outstanding Mobility preferred interests were repurchased as of April 2023, leaving no amounts outstanding at December 31, 2023.
Prior to repurchase, a holder of the Mobility preferred interests could put the interests to Mobility II, or Mobility II could have redeemed the interests upon a change in control of Mobility II or on or after September 9, 2022, with either option only allowed to be exercised during certain periods.
The price at which a put option or a redemption option could be exercised was the greater of (1) the market value of the interests as of the last date of the quarter preceding the date of the exercise of a put or redemption option and (2) the sum of (a) twenty-five dollars plus (b) any accrued and unpaid distributions. The redemption price was to be paid with cash, AT&T common stock, or a combination of cash and AT&T common stock, at Mobility II’s sole election. In no event was Mobility II required to deliver more than 250 million shares of AT&T common stock to settle put and redemption options.
On October 24, 2022, approximately 105 million Mobility preferred interests were put to AT&T by a third-party investor, for which we paid approximately $ 2,600 cash to redeem. On December 27, 2022, the AT&T pension trust provided written notice of its right to require us to purchase the remaining 213 million, or approximately $ 5,340 , of Mobility preferred interests outstanding. The terms of the instruments limited the amount we were required to redeem in any 12-month period to approximately 107 million shares, or $ 2,670 . With the certainty of redemption, the Mobility preferred interests were reclassified from equity to a liability at fair value, with approximately $ 2,670 recorded in current liabilities as “Accounts payable and
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accrued liabilities,” representing the amount required to be redeemed within one year, and $ 2,670 recorded in “Other noncurrent liabilities.” The liabilities associated with the Mobility preferred interests were considered Level 3 under the Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure framework (see Note 12). The difference between the carrying value of the Mobility preferred interest, which represented fair value at contribution, and the fair value of the instrument upon settlement and/or balance sheet reclassification was recorded as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital. As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 213 million Mobility preferred interests outstanding, which had a redemption value of approximately $ 5,340 and paid cash distributions of $ 373 per annum, subject to declaration. In April 2023, we accepted the December 2022 put option notice from the AT&T pension trust and repurchased the remaining 213 million Mobility preferred interests for a purchase price, including accrued and unpaid distributions, of $ 5,414 .
Tower Holdings Preferred Interests
In 2019, we issued $ 6,000 nonconvertible cumulative preferred interests in a wireless subsidiary (Tower Holdings) that holds interests in various tower assets and have the right to receive approximately $ 6,000 if the purchase options from the tower companies are exercised.
The membership interests in Tower Holdings consist of (1) common interests, which are held by a consolidated subsidiary of AT&T, and (2) two series of preferred interests (collectively the “2019 Tower preferred interests”). The 2019 Tower preferred interests were subject to reset in December 2024 and included a September series (Tower Class A-1) totaling $ 1,500 that paid an initial preferred distribution of 5.0 %, and a December series (Tower Class A-2) totaling $ 4,500 that paid an initial preferred distribution of 4.75 %.
In August 2024, we amended the 2019 Tower preferred interests, effective November 2024, to reset the rate and restructure the membership interests whereby all of the 2019 Tower preferred interests are now designated Fixed Rate Class A Limited Membership Interests (Tower Fixed Rate Interests). A portion of the Tower Fixed Rate Interests will move to Floating Rate Class A Limited Membership Interests (Tower Floating Rate Interests) each year over a five-year period. The Tower Fixed Rate Interests pay a preferred distribution of 5.90 %, and the Tower Floating Rate Interests, which could equal $ 525 by 2028 if not called prior, pay a preferred distribution equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus 250 basis points, as defined in the agreement. Distributions are paid quarterly, subject to declaration, and reset every five years . Any failure to declare or pay distributions on the Tower Fixed Rate Interests or Tower Floating Rate Interests (collectively, the “Tower preferred interests”) would not impose any limitation on cash movements between affiliates, or our ability to declare a dividend on or repurchase AT&T shares. We can call the Tower preferred interests at the issue price beginning in November 2029, and we can call the Tower Floating Rate Interests at any time. The Tower preferred interests are included in “Noncontrolling interest” on the consolidated balance sheets.
The holders of the Tower preferred interests have the option to require redemption upon the occurrence of certain contingent events, such as the failure of AT&T to pay the preferred distribution for two or more periods or to meet certain other requirements, including a minimum credit rating. If notice is given upon such an event, all other holders of equal or more subordinate classes of membership interests in Tower Holdings are entitled to receive the same form of consideration payable to the holders of the preferred interests, resulting in a deemed liquidation for accounting purposes.
Telco LLC Preferred Interests
In September 2020, we issued $ 2,000 nonconvertible cumulative preferred interests (Telco Class A-1) out of a newly created limited liability company (Telco LLC) that was formed to hold telecommunications-related assets. In April 2023, we expanded our September 2020 transaction and issued an additional $ 5,250 of nonconvertible cumulative preferred interests (Telco Class A-2 and A-3). As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, cumulative preferred interests in our Telco LLC totaled $ 7,250 (collectively the “Telco preferred interests”).
Members’ equity in Telco LLC consists of (1) members’ interests, which are held by a consolidated subsidiary of AT&T, (2) Telco Class A-1 preferred interests, which pay an initial preferred distribution of 4.25 % annually, subject to declaration, and subject to reset every seven years , and (3) Telco Class A-2 and A-3 preferred interests, which pay an initial preferred distribution of 6.85 % annually, subject to declaration, and subject to reset on November 1, 2027, and every seven years thereafter. Failure to pay distributions on the Telco preferred interests would not limit cash movements between affiliates, or our ability to declare a dividend on or repurchase AT&T shares. We can call the Telco preferred interests at the issue price beginning seven years from the issuance date. The Telco preferred interests are included in “Noncontrolling interest” on the consolidated balance sheets.
The holders of the Telco preferred interests have the option to require redemption upon the occurrence of certain contingent events, such as the failure of Telco LLC to pay the preferred distribution for two or more periods or to meet certain other requirements, including a minimum credit rating. If notice is given, all other holders of equal or more subordinate classes of
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members’ equity are entitled to receive the same form of consideration payable to the holders of the preferred interests, resulting in a deemed liquidation for accounting purposes.
In October 2024, we entered into an agreement to issue in the first quarter of 2025 an additional $ 2,250 of nonconvertible cumulative preferred interests in Telco LLC (Telco Class A-4). The Telco Class A-4 interests will pay an initial preferred distribution of 5.94 % annually, subject to declaration, and subject to reset on November 1, 2028, and every four years thereafter. The Telco Class A-4 interests can be called at issue price beginning on November 1, 2028, and are subject to the same redemption and liquidation rights as the Telco Class A-1, A-2 and A-3 interests. Upon the expected issuance in the first quarter of 2025, we intend to use the Telco Class A-4 proceeds to fund the redemption of preferred equity securities.
Mobility II Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
In June 2023, we issued two million Series B Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Membership Interests in Mobility II LLC (Mobility noncontrolling interests), which pay cash distributions of 6.8 % per annum, subject to declaration. So long as the distributions are declared and paid, the terms of the Mobility noncontrolling interests will not impose any limitations on cash movements between affiliates, or our ability to declare a dividend on or repurchase AT&T shares.
The Mobility noncontrolling interests are required to be initially recorded at fair value less issuance costs and will accrete to redemption value of $ 2,000 through “Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest.” The Mobility noncontrolling interests are considered Level 3 under the Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures framework (see Note 12) and included in “Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest” on the consolidated balance sheets.
A holder of the Mobility noncontrolling interests may put the interests to Mobility II on or after the earliest of certain events or each June 15 and December 15, beginning on June 15, 2028. Mobility II may redeem the interests on each March 15 and September 15, beginning on March 15, 2028. The price at which a put option or a redemption option can be exercised is the sum of (a) $ 1,000 per Mobility noncontrolling interest plus (b) any accrued and unpaid distributions. The redemption price must be paid in cash.
NOTE 17. SALES OF RECEIVABLES
We have agreements with various third-party financial institutions pertaining to the sales of certain types of our accounts receivable. The most significant of these programs are discussed in detail below and generally consist of (1) receivables arising from equipment installment plans, which are sold for cash and beneficial interests, such as deferred purchase price, when applicable, and (2) revolving trade receivables, which are sold for cash. Under the terms of our agreements for these programs, we continue to service the transferred receivables on behalf of the financial institutions.
The following table sets forth a summary of cash proceeds received, net of remittances paid, from sales of receivables for the years ended December 31:
2024 2023 2022
Net cash received (paid) from equipment installment receivables program 1
$ ( 1,358 ) $ 648 $ 1,875
Net cash received (paid) from revolving receivables program 1,147 1,456 —
Net cash received (paid) from other programs — ( 632 ) 620
Total net cash impact to cash flows from operating activities 2
$ ( 211 ) $ 1,472 $ 2,495
1 Cash from initial sales of $ 10,587 , $ 10,980 and $ 11,129 for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
2 Net of facility fees.
The sales of receivables did not have a material impact on our consolidated statements of income or to “Total Assets” reported on our consolidated balance sheets. We reflect cash receipts on sold receivables as cash flows from operations in our consolidated statements of cash flows. In the event cash is received on the beneficial interests, those receipts are classified as cash flows from investing activities, when applicable.
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Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Our equipment installment and revolving receivables programs are discussed in detail below. The following table sets forth a summary of the receivables and accounts being serviced at December 31:
2024 2023
Equipment Installment Revolving Equipment Installment Revolving
Gross receivables: $ 3,504 $ 553 $ 3,714 $ 924
Balance sheet classification
Accounts receivable
Notes receivable 1,817 — 1,695 —
Trade receivables 237 553 548 924
Other Assets
Noncurrent notes and trade receivables 1,450 — 1,471 —
Outstanding portfolio of receivables derecognized from
our consolidated balance sheets
$ 11,909 $ 2,770 $ 12,027 1,500
Cash proceeds received, net of remittances 1
8,243 2,770 9,361 1,500
1 Represents amounts to which financial institutions remain entitled, excluding the beneficial interests.
Equipment Installment Receivables Program
We offer our customers the option to purchase certain wireless devices in installments over a specified period of time and, in many cases, once certain conditions are met, they may be eligible to trade in the original equipment for a new device and have the remaining unpaid balance paid or settled.
We maintain a program under which we transfer a portion of these receivables through our bankruptcy-remote subsidiary in exchange for cash and beneficial interests. In the event a customer trades in a device prior to the end of the installment contract period, we agree to make a payment to the financial institutions equal to any outstanding remaining installment receivable balance. Accordingly, we record a guarantee obligation for this estimated amount at the time the receivables are transferred.
The following table sets forth a summary of equipment installment receivables sold under this program:
2024 2023 2022
Gross receivables sold 1
$ 10,696 $ 11,104 $ 11,510
Net receivables sold 2
10,160 10,603 11,061
Cash proceeds received 10,587 10,980 11,129
Beneficial interests recorded
— — 245
Guarantee obligation recorded 930 932 703
1 Receivables net of promotion credits.
2 Receivables net of allowance and other reserves.
Beneficial interests, when applicable, and guarantee obligations are initially recorded at estimated fair value and subsequently adjusted for changes in present value of expected cash flows. The estimation of their fair values is based on remaining installment payments expected to be collected and the expected timing and value of device trade-ins. The estimated value of the device trade-ins considers prices offered to us by independent third parties and contemplates changes in value after the launch of a device model. The fair value measurements used for the beneficial interests and the guarantee obligation are considered Level 3 under the Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure framework (see Note 12).
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Dollars in millions except per share amounts
The following table presents the previously transferred equipment installment receivables, which we repurchased in exchange for the associated beneficial interests:
2024 2023 2022
Fair value of repurchased receivables $ 3,185 $ 2,997 $ 3,314
Carrying value of beneficial interests
3,199 3,013 3,335
Gain (loss) on repurchases 1
$ ( 14 ) $ ( 16 ) $ ( 21 )
1 These gains (losses) are included in “Selling, general and administrative” expense in the consolidated statements of income.
At December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, our beneficial interests were $ 3,185 and $ 2,270 , respectively, of which $ 1,906 and $ 1,296 are included in “Prepaid and other current assets” on our consolidated balance sheets, with the remainder in “Other Assets.” The guarantee obligation at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 was $ 301 and $ 385 , respectively, of which $ 150 and $ 111 are included in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets, with the remainder in “Other noncurrent liabilities.” Our maximum exposure to loss as a result of selling these equipment installment receivables is limited to the total amount of our beneficial interests and guarantee obligation.
Revolving Receivables Program
During 2024, we expanded our revolving agreement to transfer up to $ 2,770 of certain receivables through our bankruptcy-remote subsidiaries to various financial institutions on a recurring basis in exchange for cash equal to the gross receivables transferred. This agreement is subject to renewal on an annual basis and the transfer limit may be expanded or reduced from time to time. As customers pay their balances, we transfer additional receivables into the program, resulting in our gross receivables sold exceeding net cash flow impacts (e.g., collect and reinvest). The transferred receivables are fully guaranteed by our bankruptcy-remote subsidiaries, which hold additional receivables in the amount of $ 553 that are pledged as collateral under this agreement. The transfers are recorded at fair value of the proceeds received and obligations assumed less derecognized receivables. Our maximum exposure to loss related to these receivables transferred is limited to the derecognized amount outstanding.
The following table sets forth a summary of the revolving receivables sold:
2024 2023 2022
Gross receivables sold/cash proceeds received 1
$ 21,632 $ 8,882 $ —
Total collections under revolving agreement 20,362 7,382 —
Net cash proceeds received $ 1,270 $ 1,500 $ —
Net receivables sold 2
$ 21,039 $ 8,679 $ —
1 Includes initial sales of receivables of $ 1,270 , $ 1,500 and $ 0 for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
2 Receivables net of allowance and other reserves.
NOTE 18. TOWER TRANSACTION
In December 2013, we closed our transaction with Crown Castle International Corp. (Crown Castle) in which Crown Castle gained the exclusive rights to lease and operate 9,048 wireless towers and purchased 627 of our wireless towers for $ 4,827 in cash. The leases have various terms with an average length of approximately 28 years. As the leases expire, Crown Castle will have fixed price purchase options for these towers totaling approximately $ 4,200 , based on their estimated fair market values at the end of the lease terms. We are subleasing space on the towers from Crown Castle over an estimated original term of 20 years, at current market rates, subject to further optional renewals in the future.
We determined that we did not transfer control of the tower assets, which prevented us from achieving sale-leaseback accounting for the transaction, and we accounted for the cash proceeds from Crown Castle as a financing obligation on our consolidated balance sheets. We record interest on the financing obligation using the effective interest method at a rate of approximately 3.9 %. The financing obligation is increased by interest expense and estimated future net cash flows generated and retained by Crown Castle from operation of the tower sites, and reduced by our contractual payments. We continue to include the tower assets in “Property, Plant and Equipment – Net” on our consolidated balance sheets and depreciate them accordingly. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the tower assets had a balance of $ 608 and $ 647 , respectively. Our depreciation expense for these assets was $ 39 for each of 2024, 2023 and 2022.
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Payments made to Crown Castle under this arrangement were $ 269 for 2024. At December 31, 2024, the future minimum payments under the sublease arrangement are $ 274 for 2025, $ 280 for 2026, $ 285 for 2027, $ 291 for 2028, $ 297 for 2029 and $ 1,389 thereafter.
NOTE 19. TRANSACTIONS WITH DIRECTV
We account for our investment in DIRECTV under the equity method and record our share of DIRECTV earnings as equity in net income of affiliates, with DIRECTV considered a related party. On September 29, 2024, we agreed to sell our interest in DIRECTV to TPG. (See Note 10)
The following table sets forth our share of DIRECTV’s earnings included in “Equity in net income of affiliates” and cash distributions received from DIRECTV:
2024 2023 2022
DIRECTV’s earnings included in Equity in net income of affiliates
$ 2,027 $ 1,666 $ 1,808
Distributions classified as operating activities
$ 2,027 $ 1,666 $ 1,808
Distributions classified as investing activities
928 2,049 2,649
Cash distributions received from DIRECTV
$ 2,955 $ 3,715 $ 4,457
For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 , we billed DIRECTV approximately $ 536 , $ 730 and $ 1,260 under commercial arrangements and transition service agreements, which were recorded as a reduction to the operations and support expenses incurred.
At December 31, 2024, we had accounts receivable from DIRECTV of $ 256 and accounts payable to DIRECTV of $ 17 .
We are not committed, implicitly or explicitly, to provide financial or other support, as our involvement with DIRECTV is limited to the carrying amount of the assets and liabilities recognized on our balance sheet.
NOTE 20. FIRSTNET
In 2017, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) selected AT&T to build and manage the first nationwide broadband network dedicated to America’s first responders. Under the 25 -year agreement, FirstNet provides 20 MHz of valuable telecommunications spectrum and success-based payments of $ 6,500 to support network buildout, which has been substantially completed. We are required to construct a network that achieves coverage and nationwide interoperability requirements and have a contractual commitment to make sustainability payments of $ 18,000 over the 25 -year contract. These sustainability payments represent our commitment to fund FirstNet’s operating expenses and future reinvestments in the network which we own and operate, which we estimate in the $ 3,000 or less range over the life of the 25 -year contract. After FirstNet’s operating expenses are paid, we anticipate the remaining amount, expected to be in the $ 15,000 range, will be reinvested into the network. On January 30, 2024, FirstNet agreed to reinvest up to $ 6,300 in the network over 10 years, subject to authorization.
During 2024, we submitted $ 561 in sustainability payments, with future payments under the agreement of $ 420 for 2025, $ 896 for 2026, $ 1,566 for 2027, $ 1,658 for 2028, $ 1,474 for 2029 and $ 10,435 thereafter. Amounts paid to FirstNet, which are not expected to be returned to AT&T to be reinvested into our network, will be expensed in the period paid. In the event FirstNet does not reinvest any funds to construct, operate, improve and maintain this network, our maximum exposure to loss is the total amount of the sustainability payments, which would be reflected in higher expense.
NOTE 21. CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
We are party to numerous lawsuits, regulatory proceedings and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. In evaluating these matters on an ongoing basis, we take into account amounts already accrued on the balance sheet. In our opinion, although the outcomes of these proceedings are uncertain, they should not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. See Note 12 for a discussion of collateral and credit-risk contingencies.
We have contractual obligations to purchase certain goods or services from various other parties. Our purchase obligations are expected to be approximately $ 9,916 in 2025, $ 10,982 in total for 2026 and 2027, $ 5,495 in total for 2028 and 2029 and $ 1,604 in total for years thereafter.
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Dollars in millions except per share amounts
NOTE 22. SUPPLIER AND VENDOR FINANCING PROGRAMS
Supplier Financing Program
We actively manage the timing of our supplier payments for operating items to optimize the use of our cash and seek to make payments on 90-day or greater terms, while providing suppliers with access to bank facilities that permit earlier payment at their cost. Our supplier financing program does not result in changes to our normal, contracted payment cycles or cash from operations.
At the supplier’s election, they can receive payment of AT&T obligations prior to the scheduled due dates, at a discounted price from the third-party financial institution. The discounted price paid to participating suppliers is based on a variable rate that is indexed to the overnight borrowing rate. We agree to pay the financial institution the stated amount generally within 90 days of receipt of the invoice. We do not have pledged assets or other guarantees under our supplier financing program.
Our outstanding payment obligations are included in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets and are reported as operating or investing (when capitalizable) activities in our statements of cash flows when paid.
The following table presents the change in the supplier financing obligation for the years ended December 31:
2024 2023
Confirmed obligations outstanding at the beginning of year
$ 2,844 $ 2,869
Invoices received
15,510 12,496
Invoices paid
( 15,856 ) ( 12,521 )
Confirmed obligations outstanding at the end of year
$ 2,498 $ 2,844
Direct Supplier Financing
We also have arrangements with suppliers of handset inventory that allow us to extend the stated payment terms by up to 90 days at an additional cost to us (variable rate extension fee). Direct supplier financing outstanding is included in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets and is reported as operating activities in our statements of cash flows when paid.
The following table presents the change in the direct supplier financing obligation for the years ended December 31:
2024 2023
Obligations outstanding at the beginning of year
$ 5,442 $ 5,486
Invoices extended
15,831 17,376
Invoices paid
( 15,001 ) ( 17,420 )
Obligations outstanding at the end of year
$ 6,272 $ 5,442
Vendor Financing
In connection with capital improvements and the acquisition of other productive assets, we negotiate favorable payment terms of 120 days or more (referred to as vendor financing), which are reported as financing activities in our statements of cash flows when paid.
The following table presents the change in the vendor financing obligation for the years ended December 31:
2024 2023
Obligations outstanding at the beginning of year
$ 2,516 $ 5,607
Commitments
700 2,651
Payments
( 1,792 ) ( 5,742 )
Obligations outstanding at the end of year 1,2
$ 1,424 $ 2,516
1 Total vendor financing payables at December 31, 2024 and 2023 were $ 1,448 and $ 2,833 , respectively, of which $ 749 and $ 1,975 are included in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities.”
2 Includes software licensing arrangements with payment terms of two to five years totaling approximately $ 850 and $ 630 at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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NOTE 23. ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION
December 31,
Consolidated Balance Sheets 2024 2023
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 27,433 $ 27,309
Accrued payroll and commissions 2,015 1,698
Current portion of employee benefit obligation 570 631
Accrued interest 2,020 2,187
Accrued taxes 1,301 1,022
Other 2,318 3,005
Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 35,657 $ 35,852
Consolidated Statements of Income 2024 2023 2022
Advertising expense $ 2,505 $ 2,576 $ 2,462
Interest income
$ 212 $ 303 $ 143
Interest expense incurred $ 7,120 $ 7,578 $ 7,402
Capitalized interest – capital expenditures ( 162 ) ( 179 ) ( 174 )
Capitalized interest – spectrum 1
( 199 ) ( 695 ) ( 1,120 )
Total interest expense $ 6,759 $ 6,704 $ 6,108
1 Included in “Acquisitions, net of cash acquired” in our consolidated statements of cash flows.
Cash and Cash Flows We typically maintain our restricted cash balances for purchases and sales of certain investment securities and funding of certain deferred compensation benefit payments.
The following table summarizes cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash balances contained on our consolidated balance sheets:
December 31,
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash 2024 2023 2022 2021
Cash and cash equivalents from continuing operations $ 3,298 $ 6,722 $ 3,701 $ 19,223
Cash and cash equivalents from discontinued operations — — — 1,946
Restricted cash in Prepaid and other current assets 1 2 1 3
Restricted cash in Other Assets 107 109 91 144
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 3,406 $ 6,833 $ 3,793 $ 21,316
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The following tables summarize certain cash flow activities from continuing operations:
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 2024 2023 2022
Cash paid (received) during the year for:
Interest $ 7,132 $ 7,370 $ 7,772
Income taxes, net of refunds 1
2,456 1,599 592
1 Total cash income taxes paid, net of refunds, by AT&T was $ 2,456 , $ 1,599 and $ 696 for 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Purchase of property and equipment $ 20,101 $ 17,674 $ 19,452
Interest during construction - capital expenditures 1
162 179 174
Total Capital expenditures $ 20,263 $ 17,853 $ 19,626
Business acquisitions $ — $ — $ —
Spectrum acquisitions
181 2,247 9,080
Interest during construction - spectrum 1
199 695 1,120
Total Acquisitions, net of cash acquired $ 380 $ 2,942 $ 10,200
1 Total capitalized interest was $ 361 , $ 874 and $ 1,294 for 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Labor Contracts As of December 31, 2024, we employed approximately 140,990 persons. Approximately 43 % of our employees are represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) or other unions. After expiration of collective bargaining agreements, work stoppages or labor disruptions may occur in the absence of new contracts or other agreements being reached. The main contract set to expire in 2025 covers approximately 9,000 employees in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas and is set to expire in April.
NOTE 24. DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
Upon the separation and distribution, the WarnerMedia business met the criteria for discontinued operations. For discontinued operations, we also evaluated transactions that were components of AT&T’s single plan of a strategic shift, including dispositions that previously did not individually meet the criteria due to materiality, and have determined discontinued operations to be comprised of WarnerMedia, Vrio, Xandr and Playdemic.
The following is a summary of operating results included in income (loss) from discontinued operations for the years ended:
2024
2023
2022
Revenues $ — $ — $ 9,454
Operating Expenses
Cost of revenues — — 5,481
Selling, general and administrative — — 2,791
Depreciation and amortization — — 1,172
Total operating expenses — — 9,444
Interest expense — — 131
Equity in net income (loss) of affiliates — — ( 27 )
Other income (expense) – net
— — ( 87 )
Total other income (expense) — — ( 245 )
Net loss before income taxes — — ( 235 )
Income tax expense (benefit) — — ( 54 )
Net loss from discontinued operations $ — $ — $ ( 181 )
In preparation for close of the separation and distribution, on April 7, 2022, Spinco drew $ 10,000 on its $ 10,000 term loan credit agreement (Spinco Term Loan), which conveyed to WBD. Total debt conveyed was approximately $ 41,600 , which included $ 1,600 of existing WarnerMedia debt, $ 30,000 of Spinco senior notes issued in March 2022 and the $ 10,000 Spinco Term Loan. WarnerMedia cash transfer to Discovery was approximately $ 2,660 .
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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
During our two most recent fiscal years, there has been no change in the independent accountant engaged as the principal accountant to audit our financial statements, and the independent accountant has not expressed reliance on other independent accountants in its reports during such time period.