Total Operating Expenses
AT&T Total Operating Expenses decreased by 10.2% to $24.85B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 0.1%, from $24.87B to $24.85B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Total Operating Expenses shows a downward trend with a -3.2% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
An increase faster than revenue growth suggests declining operating margins, while slower growth indicates effective cost control.
Detailed definition
Total operating expenses represent the sum of all costs incurred to operate the business, excluding the cost of goods so...
Peer comparison
Used to calculate operating margin; peers in the healthcare sector monitor this closely to manage profitability against R&D requirements.
total_operating_expensesHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $28.17B | $25.09B | $26.20B | $24.18B | $24.69B | $24.03B | $52.44B | $24.14B | $23.51B | $24.57B | $26.75B | $24.18B | $24.04B | $28.10B | $26.97B | $24.87B | $24.35B | $24.59B | $27.68B | $24.85B |
| QoQ Change | — | -10.9% | +4.4% | -7.7% | +2.1% | -2.7% | +118.2% | -54.0% | -2.6% | +4.5% | +8.9% | -9.6% | -0.6% | +16.9% | -4.0% | -7.8% | -2.1% | +1.0% | +12.6% | -10.2% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -12.4% | -4.2% | +100.1% | -0.2% | -4.8% | +2.2% | -49.0% | +0.2% | +2.2% | +14.4% | +0.8% | +2.9% | +1.3% | -12.5% | +2.6% | -0.1% |
Business Segments
| Segment | Q1 '26 |
|---|---|
| Advanced Connectivity | $21.62B |
| Legacy | $1.16B |
| Latin America | $1.15B |
| Corporate & Other | $921.00M |
| Total | $24.85B |
Total Operating Expenses at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is AT&T's total operating expenses?
- AT&T (T) reported total operating expenses of $24.85B in Q1 2026.
- How has AT&T's total operating expenses changed year-over-year?
- AT&T's total operating expenses decreased by 0.1% year-over-year, from $24.87B to $24.85B.
- What is the long-term trend for AT&T's total operating expenses?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), AT&T's total operating expenses has grown at a -3.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $115.74B to $101.49B.
- What does total operating expenses mean?
- The total cost of running the business, including all non-production expenses.