What's Going On With AT&T Shares

AT&T Inc. T shares are trading lower after JP Morgan maintained a Neutral rating on the stock but lowered its price target from $18 to $17. Stocks across sectors are also declining Thursday afternoon due to the release of September's Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which showed a year-on-year increase of 3.7%.

This figure matched August's results but exceeded the expected 3.6% increase, while the core CPI index met the projected values.

Why It Matters

Higher CPI data can lead to concerns about rising inflation. Inflation erodes the real value of fixed-income investments like bonds, which may prompt central banks like the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to combat inflation.

Higher interest rates can also increase borrowing costs for companies like AT&T, reducing their profitability and potentially making their stock less attractive to investors.

See Also: Why ChargePoint Stock Is Getting Hammered

High inflation can also erode consumers' purchasing power, making goods and services more expensive. This can affect consumer spending, and if AT&T's business relies on consumer subscriptions and spending, such as in its telecommunications services, a slowdown in consumer spending could negatively impact their revenues and stock price.

According to data from Benzinga Pro, AT&T has a 52-week high of $21.53 and a 52-week low of $13.43.