LIVE
CMCSA
Comcast Corporation · Cable & Telecom
$22.43
-9.56% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
CHTR
Charter Communications, Inc. · Cable & Telecom
$126.23
-11.42% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
CMCSA
2
CHTR
3
Comparison scoreboard
CHTR LEADS 3/5AI Score
CMCSA ✓27.8
CHTR 27.2
1Y Return
CMCSA ✓-35.04%
CHTR -66.21%
Fwd P/E
CMCSA 6.47
CHTR ✓3.26
Target Up.
CMCSA +32.26%
CHTR ✓+64.02%
Op. Margin
CMCSA 13.15%
CHTR ✓23.88%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
CMCSA vs CHTR Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
CMCSA and CHTR are the two largest US cable operators facing identical competitive headwinds from fiber and fixed wireless. The key difference is diversification: Comcast has NBCUniversal's content, Peacock streaming, and Universal theme parks providing earnings alongside cable broadband. Charter is a pure-play cable broadband company. Comcast offers more earnings diversification at the cost of complexity and streaming losses; Charter offers focused broadband investment with maximum buybacks but no content hedge.
CMCSA vs CHTR — Comcast (the largest US cable company with NBCUniversal content, Peacock streaming, and Universal theme parks providing diversification beyond cable broadband while paying a dividend) versus Charter Communications (the pure-play US cable broadband operator allocating all capital to broadband network investment and share buybacks without content diversification).
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
CHTR holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. CMCSA has delivered stronger 1-year price return (-35.04% vs -66.21%), though CHTR trades at the lower forward P/E (3.26x vs 6.47x). On fundamentals, CMCSA is growing revenue faster (5.30%), while CHTR maintains the higher operating margin (23.88%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for CHTR (+64.02%) than for CMCSA (+32.26%).
Normalized 1Y performance
CMCSA
CHTR
Recent returns
CMCSA
CHTR
Analyst price targets & sentiment
CMCSA · 27 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.3/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$30.00
analyst high$50.00
analyst mean$32.40
current price$22.43
+32.3% upside to analyst mean
CHTR · 20 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.5/5.0)
Price target range
analyst high$600.00
analyst mean$239.18
current price$126.23
+64.0% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
CMCSA may suit investors who:
- →value content and media diversification beyond cable broadband — NBCUniversal's sports rights, Universal Studios theme parks, and Peacock provide multiple earnings streams
- →want a dividend from their cable investment — Comcast pays 2-3% dividend yield that Charter does not offer
- →see Universal's Epic Universe theme park expansion as a high-return capital investment adding substantial earnings beyond the cable business
- →are comfortable with Peacock streaming investment losses extending profitability timeline and broadband competition in Comcast's Northeast and Southeast US serving areas
CHTR may suit investors who:
- →prefer focused pure-play cable broadband without media and streaming complexity — Charter's cable-only model has simpler competitive dynamics than Comcast's multi-segment complexity
- →value Charter's buyback-only capital return strategy — with no dividend, Charter repurchases more shares at low P/FCF multiples, compounding per-share value over time
- →want maximum DOCSIS 4.0 network investment focus — Charter's capital allocation concentrates entirely on cable broadband competitive response rather than content and theme park capital
- →are comfortable with no dividend, pure broadband competition risk, and higher leverage vs Comcast's more diversified balance sheet
Performance & AI score
| Metric | CMCSA | CHTR |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 27.8 | 27.2 |
| AI rank | #2461 | #2504 |
| Latest close | $22.43 | $126.23 |
| 1M return | -9.56% | -11.42% |
| 6M return | -26.02% | -39.79% |
| 1Y return | -35.04% | -66.21% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | CMCSA | CHTR |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $6.55K (-34.5%) started 2025-06-18 | $3.34K (-66.6%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $4.91K (-50.9%) started 2021-06-21 | $1.82K (-81.8%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $11.13K (+11.3%) started 2016-06-20 | $5.71K (-42.9%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | CMCSA | CHTR |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $87.52B | $22.85B |
| Trailing P/E | 4.80 | 3.94 |
| Forward P/E | 6.47 | 3.26 |
| Price/Sales | 1.05 | 0.99 |
| EV/Revenue | 1.38 | 2.18 |
| Analyst target | $32.40 | $239.18 |
| Target upside | +32.26% | +64.02% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | CMCSA | CHTR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 5.30% | -1.00% |
| Earnings growth | -32.60% | 8.90% |
| EPS growth | -32.60% | +8.90% |
| FCF margin | +3.20% | +4.40% |
| Operating margin | 13.15% | 23.88% |
| Profit margin | 15.00% | 9.03% |
| ROIC proxy | 20.92% | 27.50% |
| Return on equity | 20.92% | 27.50% |
| Dividend yield | 5.39% | N/A |
| Beta | 0.66 | 0.71 |
| Debt/equity | 106.86 | 459.52 |
| Current ratio | 0.86 | 0.40 |
| Quick ratio | 0.71 | 0.33 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
CMCSA max drawdown38.26%
CHTR max drawdown69.82%
CMCSA max wkly drop14.54%
CHTR max wkly drop34.57%
5Y risk snapshot
CMCSA max drawdown59.59%
CHTR max drawdown84.63%
CMCSA max wkly drop14.54%
CHTR max wkly drop34.57%
10Y risk snapshot
CMCSA max drawdown59.59%
CHTR max drawdown84.63%
CMCSA max wkly drop15.15%
CHTR max wkly drop34.57%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | CMCSA | CHTR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -34.53% | -66.56% |
| CAGR | -34.57% | -66.61% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.40 | -2.05 | |
| Max drawdown | 38.26% | 69.82% | |
| Max daily drop | 12.90% | 25.50% | |
| Max wkly drop | 14.54% | 34.57% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -56.25% | -81.83% |
| CAGR | -15.26% | -28.94% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.64 | -0.78 | |
| Max drawdown | 59.59% | 84.63% | |
| Max daily drop | 12.90% | 25.50% | |
| Max wkly drop | 14.54% | 34.57% | |
| 10Y | Growth | -11.57% | -42.91% |
| CAGR | -1.22% | -5.45% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.08 | -0.12 | |
| Max drawdown | 59.59% | 84.63% | |
| Max daily drop | 12.90% | 25.50% | |
| Max wkly drop | 15.15% | 34.57% |
Business comparison
| Category | CMCSA | CHTR |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Comcast Corporation | Charter Communications, Inc. |
| Sector | Communication Services | Communication Services |
| Industry | Telecom Services | Telecom Services |
| Core business | Comcast is the largest US cable company with 32M+ broadband subscribers and a diversified media conglomerate including NBCUniversal (NBC, Bravo, Peacock streaming, Universal Pictures, Universal theme parks). Comcast's Cable Communications segment (broadband, video, phone) is the primary cash flow generator. NBCUniversal provides content and intellectual property diversification. Peacock streaming is Comcast's Netflix competitor with 31M+ paid subscribers. Universal theme parks (Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, Singapore, Epic Universe opening 2025) generate significant operating income. | Charter Communications (Spectrum) is the second-largest US cable operator with 32M+ broadband subscribers and no content/media division — a pure-play cable broadband and connectivity company. Charter's cable-only focus means all capital allocation goes toward broadband network investment (DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades) and share buybacks. Charter does not pay a dividend — returning capital through buybacks. Charter is navigating the same fiber competition headwinds as Comcast but with less business diversification. |
| Investor focus | Investors focus on Comcast's broadband subscriber trends, Peacock streaming subscriber and profitability trajectory, NBCUniversal sports rights performance, Universal theme park EBITDA, and dividend sustainability. | Investors focus on Charter's broadband subscriber trends, ARPU trajectory, capex for DOCSIS 4.0 network evolution, free cash flow generation, and buyback pace. |
CMCSA strengths
- →NBCUniversal content and IP diversification: Comcast's content segment (NBC, Peacock, Universal) provides significant earnings diversification beyond cable broadband — theme parks are a high-growth, high-return capital business
- →Universal theme parks EBITDA growth: Universal's Epic Universe in Orlando (opening 2025) represents major expansion — theme parks generate high-margin entertainment revenues insulated from cable competitive pressures
- →Dividend yield and buyback history: Comcast pays a dividend (2-3% yield) and has consistently bought back stock — shareholder return profile stronger than Charter which pays no dividend
CHTR strengths
- →Pure-play broadband focus: Charter's cable-only strategy means all operational focus is on broadband network excellence — no distraction from content, streaming, or theme park capital allocation
- →No dividend means maximum capital for buybacks: Charter returns 100% of excess capital through buybacks — highly accretive when stock is at low P/FCF multiples as buybacks reduce share count significantly
- →DOCSIS 4.0 competitive response to fiber: Charter's network evolution to multi-gigabit DOCSIS speeds over existing cable matches fiber performance without requiring complete network replacement capital costs
Risks to watch — CMCSA
- →Broadband competition intensifying in Comcast markets: AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile Fixed Wireless, and Verizon Fios all compete in various Comcast geographies — broadband subscriber growth has slowed
- →Peacock streaming losses: Peacock has required significant investment with losses of billions annually — streaming profitability timeline extends Comcast's overall earnings drag vs pure-cable Charter
- →NBCUniversal sports rights costs rising: NBC's NFL, Olympics, and other sports rights are increasingly expensive — content cost inflation pressures NBCUniversal margins
Risks to watch — CHTR
- →No content diversification: Charter's broadband-only focus means its entire investment thesis depends on cable broadband maintaining a competitive position — no NBCUniversal equivalent to offset broadband pressure
- →Fiber competition intensification same as Comcast: AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile Fixed Wireless, and independent fiber builders are entering Charter's markets at similar rates to Comcast's geographic footprint
- →High leverage limits flexibility: Charter's significant leverage from years of buybacks and network investment reduces financial flexibility in a competitive environment requiring sustained capex
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