Sustained household formation and wage growth, along with a pullback in promotional activity at AT&T (T), the main competitor to most multi-service operators, keeps fundamentals across cable strong, JPMorgan analyst Philip Cusick tells investors in a research note. In 2018, the U.S. added ~1.5m households for the second year in a row, "which sets up the wireline video and broadband ecosystems well in 2019," says the analyst. Altice USA (ATUS) and Charter Communications (CHTR) are both on the JPMorgan's Analyst Focus List, and Comcast (CMCSA) is Cusick's favorite mega-cap service provider. The analyst is "wary" of the multiple of Underweight-rated Cable One (CABO), but admits its operational momentum seems strong.

Morgan Stanley named Comcast as the firm's "Top Pick in the Cable & Satellite" industry and notes that it remains the firm's only Overweight-rated name in the sector. Shares are now down 10% year-to-date despite a stable earnings outlook, says the analyst, who remains confident Comcast can grow broadband ARPU consistent with its historical 3%-4% range in 2024 and beyond. Moderating losses at Peacock and the opening of its new theme park Epic Universe in 2025 should also contribute to consolidated EBITDA growth, the analyst tells investors.

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