Investors saw a lot of red in 2022. But a company known for its magenta logo was a stock market darling this year.
Shares of T-Mobile (TMUS) rose about 20% in 2022, even as rivals AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ) tumbled. Ma Bell was down about 2% while Verizon (VZ) plunged more than 25%.
T-Mobile had an impressive year despite many economic challenges, including inflation. The company continued to gain market share at the expense of its rivals.
It also spent more money to blanket the country with increased 5G coverage
“It’s just another example of us making a big investment in customers, changing the industry in their favor, putting them first, and making an investment in them,” Sievert said.
The strategy is working. T-Mobile, thanks to its merger with Sprint in 2020, is now the second-largest wireless carrier in the US, ahead of AT&T and trailing only Verizon.
The company has about 112 million customers and has been adding subscribers at a faster clip than both of its main rivals.
But AT&T and Verizon are both ramping up their 5G coverage plans too. And let’s be honest. There’s not that much anymore to differentiate one wireless carrier from another. They all pretty much offer the same new and popular phones from Samsung (SSNLF) and the latest iPhone 14 from Apple (AAPL).