AI Takeaway
Charter Communications (CHTR) reported a modest revenue decline of 0.6% to $54.77B in FY2025, but delivered strong operating cash flow growth of 11.4% to $16.08B and significantly accelerated share buybacks of $5.13B, driving EPS higher by 3.9% despite lower net income.
Revenue
$54.77B
-0.56% YoY
EPS (Basic)
$36.90
++3.86% YoY
Operating Income
$12.91B
-1.60% YoY
Filed · Analysis updated · Source: SEC EDGAR 10-K filing
Total revenue declined 0.6% year-over-year to $54.77B in FY2025 (from $55.09B in FY2024), reflecting ongoing competitive pressures in the broadband and video segments as Charter faces cord-cutting trends and intensifying competition from fixed wireless and fiber overbuilders.
Source: Source: 10-K Income Statement (XBRL Financial Data)
Operating income fell 1.6% to $12.91B, with operating margin contracting slightly to 23.6% from 23.8%, indicating modest cost pressures that outpaced the revenue decline and squeezed profitability at the operating level.
Source: Source: 10-K Income Statement & Key Ratios (XBRL Financial Data)
Despite top-line headwinds, operating cash flow surged 11.4% to $16.08B from $14.43B in the prior year, demonstrating Charter's ability to convert revenue into cash efficiently and reflecting disciplined working capital management.
Source: Source: 10-K Cash Flow Statement (XBRL Financial Data)
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Upgrade to unlockCharter carries $94.76B in long-term debt against stockholders' equity of only $16.05B, resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 5.9x. This elevated leverage exposes the company to significant refinancing risk, interest rate sensitivity, and limits financial flexibility, particularly in a higher-for-longer interest rate environment.
Source: Source: 10-K Balance Sheet (XBRL Financial Data)
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Upgrade to unlockReported EPS of $10.34 versus the $9.98 analyst consensus — a +3.6% beat for FY2025.
| Metric | Current | Previous | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Revenue | $54.77B | $55.09B | -0.56% |
Operating Income | $12.91B | $13.12B | -1.60% |
Net Income | $4.99B | $5.08B | -1.89% |
EPS (Basic) | $36.90 | $35.53 | +3.86% |
EPS (Diluted) | $36.21 | $34.97 | +3.55% |
| Metric | Current | Previous | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Total Assets | $154.21B | $150.02B | +2.79% |
Current Assets | $5.14B | $4.23B | +21.52% |
Current Liabilities | $13.31B | $13.49B | -1.33% |
Stockholders' Equity | $16.05B | $15.59B | +3.00% |
Cash & Equivalents | $477M | $459M | +3.92% |
Long-Term Debt | $94.76B | $93.93B | +0.88% |
| Metric | Current | Previous | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Operating Cash Flow | $16.08B | $14.43B | +11.41% |
Investing Cash Flow | $-11.62B | $-10.65B | -9.07% |
Financing Cash Flow | $-4.37B | $-3.98B | -9.70% |
Share Buybacks | $5.13B | $1.21B | +323.08% |
| Metric | Current | Previous | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Operating Margin | 23.6% | 23.8% | -0.25% |
Net Margin | 9.1% | — | — |
ROE | 31.1% | — | — |
ROA | 3.2% | — | — |
Current Ratio | $0.387 | — | — |
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Charter Communications reported FY2025 revenue of $54.77B, down 0.6% year-over-year, while net income declined 1.9% to $4.99B. However, the company delivered strong operating cash flow of $16.08B (+11.4%) and EPS grew 3.9% to $36.90 due to aggressive share buybacks of $5.13B.
Yes, Charter's basic EPS grew 3.9% to $36.90 in FY2025, despite net income declining 1.9% to $4.99B. The EPS improvement was driven by a significant increase in share repurchases, which totaled $5.13B—more than four times the $1.21B repurchased in FY2024.
Charter's most significant risks include its extremely high long-term debt of $94.76B, a current ratio of only 0.39 indicating a working capital deficit, and ongoing revenue pressure from broadband competition and video cord-cutting. These factors combined could strain the company's financial flexibility, especially in a high interest rate environment.
Charter carries $94.76B in long-term debt as of FY2025, up slightly from $93.93B in the prior year. This represents a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 5.9x relative to stockholders' equity of $16.05B, making leverage one of the most critical metrics for investors to monitor.
Charter's operating cash flow grew 11.4% to $16.08B in FY2025, significantly outpacing the modest 0.6% revenue decline, suggesting improved working capital management and operational efficiency. However, investing outflows also increased 9.1% to $11.62B, reflecting continued heavy capital spending on network upgrades and expansion.