US carrier shares rebounded this week even as the satellite direct-to-device story kept building. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile all finished higher, recovering ground lost in early August after SpaceX outlined plans to enter the wireless market directly. The sharpest moves came from the equipment side: Cisco fell hard despite a record quarter, undone by gross margin compression tied to rising memory costs, while Inseego slid again on continued fallout from its guidance cut. In satellite, consolidation kept grinding forward, with Rocket Lab clearing regulatory milestones on its Iridium acquisition and EchoStar auctioning off what is left of Dish Wireless.
Performance This Week
| Company | Ticker | Latest Price | Week over Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Carriers | |||
| AT&T | T | $24.89 | +4.62% |
| Verizon | VZ | $48.48 | +3.02% |
| T-Mobile | TMUS | $182.61 | +3.06% |
| Router & Equipment Makers | |||
| Ericsson (Cradlepoint) | ERIC | $10.27 | +1.18% |
| Semtech (Sierra Wireless) | SMTC | $139.81 | +0.28% |
| Digi International | DGII | $84.22 | +3.08% |
| Netgear | NTGR | $24.12 | +1.90% |
| Inseego | INSG | $4.68 | down 15.15% |
| Cisco (Meraki) | CSCO | $111.68 | down 8.03% |
| Plover Bay (Peplink) | 1523.HK | HK$8.04 | down 0.80% |
| Satellite & Emerging | |||
| AST SpaceMobile | ASTS | $70.98 | down 1.33% |
| Iridium | IRDM | $50.21 | +0.56% |
| Globalstar | GSAT | $82.41 | down 1.19% |
| EchoStar | ECHO | $91.79 | +1.94% |
| Viasat | VSAT | $83.22 | +3.53% |
| SpaceX | SPCX | $139.72 | +4.97% |
Prices reflect the August 14, 2026 close unless noted, measured against the August 7, 2026 close. A few figures are approximate: Ericsson reflects the August 13 close, Plover Bay reflects the August 10 close on the Hong Kong exchange, and Digi, Inseego, Semtech, EchoStar and Viasat were captured within minutes of the closing bell.
Stories Behind the Moves
US Carriers
The Big Three bounced back after a rough start to August. The rebound came despite fresh pressure from orbit: at an August 11 all hands, Elon Musk claimed Starlink now counts 22 million mobile subscribers, a figure that almost certainly folds in carrier direct-to-device partnerships rather than a standalone retail product. Wolfe Research nonetheless downgraded T-Mobile to Peer Perform on August 14, arguing that T-Mobile’s structural growth advantage is narrowing as AT&T and Verizon catch up. T-Mobile also closed its 800 MHz spectrum sale to Grain Management, and Verizon posted a $25,000 reward after fiber vandalism knocked out service for thousands of Southern California customers.
Router and Equipment Makers
Cisco was the week’s big story and a useful lesson in how the market is pricing hardware right now. Its fiscal Q4 report on August 12 was a genuine beat: revenue of $17.25 billion, up 18 percent, networking product orders up 40 percent, and FY27 guidance above consensus. Shares fell about 8 percent anyway, because non-GAAP gross margin compressed 210 basis points to 66.3 percent on higher hardware mix and rising memory costs. Volume is being won at the expense of margin, and the same component inflation is showing up across the category.
The edge and IoT names split sharply. Digi kept climbing as analysts reset targets higher following its raised FY26 guidance of 23 to 24 percent growth. Inseego went the other way, sliding roughly 15 percent as the market continued digesting a guidance cut that took FY26 revenue down to about $155 million, leaving the stock near its 52 week low. Netgear was quiet and roughly flat. Ericsson was named the sole global technology partner in SK Telecom’s government backed AI network demonstration project in South Korea. Plover Bay traded ex dividend on August 12; its planned Peplink spin off remains targeted for completion before year end.
Satellite and Emerging
Consolidation is now the defining theme. Rocket Lab reported concrete progress on its Iridium acquisition, with the HSR waiting period lapsed and FCC applications filed. AST SpaceMobile reported Q2 revenue of $31.5 million with 13 satellites in orbit and reaffirmed full year guidance of $150 to $200 million. EchoStar spent the week in the Dish Wireless bankruptcy endgame, serving as stalking horse bidder at roughly $300 million for network assets it once spent tens of billions building. Three of the names on this list are mid acquisition, which tells you how much capital a direct-to-device constellation actually requires.
Starlink and Amazon Leo
SpaceX finished the week up nearly 5 percent, helped by another Vandenberg launch and the subscriber claim noted above. The pushback arrived quickly: on August 14, MoffettNathanson published a detailed skeptical case, covered by Light Reading, arguing that a satellite backhauled rooftop small cell network cannot substitute for macro infrastructure and that SpaceX holds only about a fifth of the spectrum each Big Three carrier controls. The read is that this is leverage toward an MVNO deal rather than a standalone build. Amazon Leo had no significant news this week; its pending Globalstar acquisition remains under FCC review.
5Gstore Take
The Cisco reaction is the number worth remembering. A vendor can grow orders 40 percent and still lose 8 percent of its market value because memory prices moved against it. Component inflation is real, it is showing up in router and gateway pricing, and buyers planning refreshes into 2027 should assume hardware costs firm rather than soften. If you have a fleet upgrade budgeted on last year’s pricing, revisit it now.
On satellite, our advice has not changed: direct-to-device is a coverage supplement, not a replacement for a well designed cellular WAN. The MoffettNathanson analysis lines up with what we see in the field. Satellite fills gaps and adds failover; it does not yet carry primary bandwidth for a branch or a fleet.
We stock and support the full range of business connectivity brands, and we are happy to talk through what fits your deployment:
Questions about a specific deployment? Contact the 5Gstore team and we will help you scope it.
FAQ
Why did Cisco stock fall after beating expectations?
Gross margin. Cisco beat on revenue and earnings and guided FY27 above consensus, but non-GAAP gross margin fell 210 basis points to 66.3 percent, driven by higher hardware mix and rising memory costs. The market priced the margin trend over the growth number.
Does the SpaceX wireless push actually threaten the major carriers?
Not immediately. SpaceX holds roughly a fifth of the spectrum each major carrier controls, and analysts are openly skeptical that satellite backhauled small cells can replace macro networks. Most observers read the effort as negotiating leverage toward an MVNO arrangement.
Why is Inseego down so much?
The decline traces to its Q2 report, which missed on earnings and cut FY26 revenue guidance to roughly $155 million from about $190 million. Analyst downgrades and target cuts followed, pushing shares near their 52 week low.
What is happening with Peplink and Plover Bay?
Plover Bay, Peplink’s listed parent, is still working toward a separate Peplink listing, announced in February 2026 and targeted to complete before the end of 2026. Until that closes, 1523.HK remains the tracking ticker.
Should I delay a hardware purchase because of component costs?
Generally no. Current signals point to firming rather than falling hardware pricing into 2027, so waiting is more likely to cost you than save you. Plan refreshes on current quotes.
This post is informational market commentary and not investment advice. Prices reflect the latest available quotes at the time of writing and may differ from the figures shown by your broker.
About the Author
Michael Ginsberg is the founder of 5Gstore.com, a trusted source for cellular routers and failover networking solutions since 2005. With a background in software and networking dating back to 1988, he writes about cellular connectivity, IoT infrastructure, network security, and fleet management. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn or reach the 5Gstore team through our contact page.
