AT&T vs Hyundai: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
AT&T reported $125.6B of revenue in FY2025 and $22B of net income. Hyundai reported ~$132.2B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$6.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
AT&T
AT&T's financial story is large revenue, large debt and a slow correction. The company funded the $48.5 billion DirecTV purchase in 2015 and the $85.4 billion Time Warner purchase in 2018 largely with borrowing, and net debt passed $180 billion after Time Warner closed. It then reversed course: WarnerMedia was separated in 2022, the dividend was cut, and the remaining 70% DIRECTV stake went to TPG in July 2025 for a $5.6 billion gain. FY2025 revenue was $125.6 billion, with $23.4 billion of total net income, $46.4 billion of adjusted EBITDA and $16.6 billion of free cash flow against $117.4 billion of net debt. Roughly $22 billion a year of capital investment goes mostly into fiber and 5G.
Hyundai
Hyundai's revenue has grown every year since 2020, from ~$83.5 billion (KRW 117.6 trillion) in 2021 to ~$132 billion (KRW 186.25 trillion) in 2025. Profit peaked in 2023 and 2024, when operating profit topped ~$9.94 billion (KRW 14 trillion) on a rich SUV mix and a weak won. In 2025 operating profit fell 19.5% to ~$8.14 billion (KRW 11.47 trillion) and net profit fell 21.7% to ~$7.36 billion (KRW 10.36 trillion), mostly because of U.S. tariffs. Q2 2026 revenue was a record ~$34.9 billion (KRW 49.22 trillion), up 1.9%, but operating profit dropped 20.8% to ~$2.02 billion (KRW 2.85 trillion), leaving H1 2026 operating profit at ~$3.81 billion (KRW 5.37 trillion) against ~$5.14 billion (KRW 7.24 trillion) a year earlier. The company paid a total 2025 dividend of KRW 10,000 per share, and its 2026 guidance calls for 1-2% revenue growth and a 6.3-7.3% operating margin, which its CFO said in July it may miss on volume.
Revenue and profit by year
AT&T
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $125.6B | $22B | 17.5% | +2.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $122.3B | $10.9B | 8.9% | -0.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | $122.4B | $14.4B | 11.8% | +1.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | $120.7B | -$8.5B | -7.1% | -9.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | $134B | $20.1B | 15.0% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $143.1B | -$5.2B | -3.6% | -21.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $181.2B | $13.9B | 7.7% | +6.1% | Source |
| FY2018 | $170.8B | $19.4B | 11.3% | +6.4% | Source |
| FY2017 | $160.5B | $29.4B | 18.3% | -2.0% | Source |
| FY2016 | $163.8B | $13B | 7.9% | — | Source |
Hyundai
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$132.2B | ~$6.7B | 5.1% | +6.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$124.4B | ~$8.9B | 7.1% | +7.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$115.5B | ~$8.5B | 7.4% | +14.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$100.9B | ~$5.2B | 5.2% | +20.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$83.5B | ~$3.5B | 4.2% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
AT&T
- Mobility~71%
Wireless service plans and device sales. Segment revenue was $89.5 billion in 2025, of which $67.4 billion was service revenue and $22.1 billion equipment.
- Business Wireline~14%
Connectivity for businesses, from fiber and dedicated internet to legacy voice and data. Revenue fell to $17.2 billion in 2025 from $18.8 billion in 2024.
- Consumer Wireline~11%
Home broadband, led by AT&T Fiber and AT&T Internet Air. Revenue was $14.2 billion in 2025, with fiber revenue up 17.0% to $8.6 billion.
- Latin America~3%
Wireless service in Mexico. Revenue was $4.4 billion in 2025, up from $4.2 billion, with $145 million of operating income.
Hyundai
- SUVs and Passenger Vehicles
Core revenue engine
Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade, Sonata, Elantra, and other global models generate volume, dealer traffic, and cash flow across major regions.
- Hybrids and Electrified Vehicles
Growth and transition
Hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric, and fuel-cell vehicles support Hyundai's transition while giving buyers powertrain choice during uneven EV adoption.
- Genesis Luxury
Premium margin contributor
Genesis sedans and SUVs lift brand perception and average transaction prices while competing with Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi.
- Parts, Services, and Mobility
Recurring and adjacent
After-sales service, parts, connected services, fleet offerings, robotics, and future mobility investments extend Hyundai beyond one-time vehicle sales.
Business model and strategy
AT&T
How it makes money
AT&T runs a capital-intensive network business. It buys licensed wireless spectrum, builds and upgrades cell sites, and trenches fiber, then charges consumers and businesses a monthly fee to use that network. Capital investment was $22.0 billion in 2025 against $125.6 billion of revenue.
Growth strategy
With the US smartphone market saturated, AT&T's growth depends on home internet and on keeping the wireless customers it has. It is building fiber, which passed 32.0 million consumer and business locations at the end of 2025 and carried 10.4 million subscribers, and it sells AT&T Internet Air fixed wireless where fiber is not available.
Competitive advantage
AT&T's advantage is the cost of replicating what it already owns. Its fiber network passed 32.0 million consumer and business locations at the end of 2025, and its mid-band 5G service covers more than 310 million people. Keeping that going took $22.0 billion of capital investment in 2025 alone, which is why the national market has three carriers rather than thirty.
Hyundai
How it makes money
Hyundai earns most of its revenue from wholesale vehicle sales to dealers and distributors across North America, Korea, Europe, India and emerging markets. Three layers sit on top of that core: the Genesis luxury brand, which lifts average transaction prices; a finance division (Hyundai Capital and Hyundai Capital America) that earns interest and lease income on vehicle loans; and after-sales parts and service.
Growth strategy
Hyundai's growth strategy rests on four moves: localising production in the United States, India and other big markets to avoid tariffs; expanding hybrids across its range while keeping EV investment flexible; pushing Genesis higher in luxury; and building software, autonomous driving and robotics. In the U.S.
Competitive advantage
Hyundai's edge is breadth plus speed. It can offer gasoline, hybrid, plug-in, battery-electric and hydrogen versions of key models, which matters as EV demand stalls in some markets and hybrids take more than a quarter of its U.S. sales.
Questions about AT&T vs Hyundai
Which company has higher revenue — AT&T Inc. or Hyundai Motor Company?
AT&T Inc. reported $125.6B (FY2025), while Hyundai Motor Company reported ~$132.2B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Hyundai Motor Company is the larger business, with AT&T Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of AT&T Inc. vs Hyundai Motor Company?
AT&T Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $174.4B, while Hyundai Motor Company's is $52.0B. AT&T Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Hyundai Motor Company.
Which is more financially efficient — AT&T Inc. or Hyundai Motor Company?
AT&T Inc. generates $945k / employee in revenue per employee, while Hyundai Motor Company generates $1.08M / employee. Hyundai Motor Company shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do AT&T Inc. and Hyundai Motor Company make money?
AT&T Inc. and Hyundai Motor Company generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. AT&T Inc.: AT&T runs a capital-intensive network business. Hyundai Motor Company: Hyundai earns most of its revenue from wholesale vehicle sales to dealers and distributors across North America, Korea, Europe, India and emerging markets.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — AT&T Inc. or Hyundai Motor Company?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, AT&T Inc. trades at 1.4x P/S and Hyundai Motor Company at 0.4x P/S. AT&T Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Hyundai Motor Company. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is AT&T Inc. bigger than Hyundai Motor Company?
By last reported revenue, Hyundai Motor Company (~$132.2B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to AT&T Inc. ($125.6B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the AT&T vs Hyundai overview