10 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now

Investors, if you are considering buying stock in Windstream (NASDAQ: WIN  ) , please ask yourselves this question: "Am I gong to purchase part of a company I think will continue to grow its telecom business, or am I only attracted to its high-yield dividend?"

That's important to determine because in this era of absurdly low Treasury yields (around 1.9% for a 10-year note), Windstream's dividend yield of over 11% exerts a gravitational pull that can easily override common fiscal sense.

Let's take a look at Windstream's first-quarter earnings and try to find an answer.

Total revenue for the quarter declined 2.5% from the same period last year. As a company that is still invested heavily in the sinking wire-line telephone business, that shouldn't come as a surprise.

But the company has been shifting its focus to providing broadband Internet service to consumer and business customers, and those segments have shown growth: Business service revenue is up 2% and consumer broadband service revenue is up 5% over the first quarter of 2012.

Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: QSC AG (QSC)

QSC AG is a Germany-based telecommunications provider that offers enterprise customers and resellers a range of broadband communication services, from site networking to voice and data services. The Company operates in three business segments: Direct Sales; Indirect Sales, and Resellers. The Direct Sales segment (former Managed Services) focuses on larger and mid-size enterprises, and includes the business of subsidiaries INFO AG and IP Partner. The Indirect Sales segment focuses on regional partners that offer a portfolio of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products, solutions and services, including Internet Service Providers (ISP), as well as voice and data services. The Resellers segment focuses on ISPs and telecommunication carriers that do not have an infrastructure of their own and primarily address residential customers. The Resellers segment also includes conventional voice business. In August 2013, it merged with INFO AG. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  QSC AG (QSC), a provider of telephony and data services to small and medium-sized businesses, jumped 9.5 percent after posting an increase in quarterly net income. Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1) retreated 2.7 percent after Equinet Bank AG downgraded the shares to sell.

10 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Iliad SA (ILD)

Iliad SA is a France-based holding company active in the integrated telecommunications sector. The Company provides Internet access services, hosting services and others. Iliad SA is also focused on fixed-line telephony services and the provision of wireless fidelity (WiFi) cards, among several others. In addition, Iliad SA sells via Internet a range of insurance policies. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had a number of subsidiaries, which include Free SAS, Centrapel SAS, Freebox SAS, Telecom Academy SARL, Free Frequences SAS, Iliad 1 SAS, Iliad 2 SAS, Protelco SAS, IFW SAS, IRE SAS, Management Centre De Relation Abonne (MCRA), F Distribution SAS, and Centrapel SAS, among others. Its Fixe subsidiary is a landline business-provider of broadband Internet services. As of year-end 2012, the Company was active as a operator in more than 35 countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  In order to counter the aggressive pricing strategy from wireless new entrant Iliad SA (ILD) in France, Orange was forced to reduce prices. Thus, the firm has continued to add wireless subscribers but at a lower average revenue per user, mainly through its low-end Sosh brand.

10 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Belgacom SA (BELG)

Belgacom SA is a Belgium-based company registered under the Belgian public law that provides both fixed and mobile telecommunication services, including telephony, Internet and television services for both professional and private customers. Its activities are divided into five product lines: Packs (offering mixed all-in-one products, such as Internet together with Television and Mobile telephony); Proximus telephony, Internet, Television and Fixed telephony. It also offers its customers e-services (helping in account managing online), help and support through its Website. The Belgian State is the Company's major shareholder. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Belgacom SA (BELG) rallied 9.1 percent to 18.34 euros, its biggest gain since at least 2004, after reporting second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and some items of 430 million euros. Analysts on average had estimated Ebitda of 414.2 million euros.

10 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: KT Corp (KT)

KT Corporation is an integrated telecommunications service provider in the Republic of Korea. Its services include personal communications service (PCS) mobile telecommunications services and high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA)-based IMT-2000 wireless Internet and video multimedia communications services; telephone services, including local, domestic long-distance and international long-distance fixed-line telephone services and interconnection services; broadband Internet access service and other Internet-related services, including Internet protocol television (IP-TV) services, and various other services, including leased line service and other data communication service, satellite service and information technology and network services. On June 1, 2009, KTF merged into KTF Corporation. In October 2009, it disposed its majority stake in its wholly owned subsidiary, KT FDS Corporation, engaged in computer software developing business.

Mobile Service

The Company provides mobile services based on code division multiple access (CDMA) technology and wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) technology. PCS service is a digital wireless telephone and data transmission system, which uses portable handsets with long battery life to communicate, through low-power antennae. The PCS service is based on CDMA technology and utilizes 40 megahertz of bandwidth in the 1800 megahertz frequency.

The Company markets the mobile services primarily through independent dealers located throughout the Republic of Korea. As of December 31, 2009, there were approximately 2,200 shops managed by the independent dealers. In addition to assisting new subscribers to activate mobile service and purchase handsets, authorized dealers are connected to the database and are able to assist customers with account information.

Telephone Services

The telephone network includes exchanges, long-distance transmission equipment and fiber optic and copper cables. The C! ompany utilizes the telephone network to provide fixed-line telephone services, which consist of local, domestic long-distance and international long-distance services. The long distance cable network is made up of fiber optic cable and could carry both voice and data transmissions. The Company provides Internet phone services that enable voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone devices with broadband connection to make domestic and international calls. As of December 31, 2009, the fixed-line telephone services accounted for 18% of the Company�� operating revenues.

Internet Services

The Company�� Internet services include asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), very high speed digital subscriber line (VDSL), Ethernet and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services under the QOOK Internet brand name; wireless local area network (LAN) service under the Nespot brand name, which is designed to integrate fixed-line and wireless services by offering high speed wireless Internet access to laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smart phones in hot-spot zones and QOOK Internet service in fixed-line environments, and WiBro Internet access service, which enables two-way wireless broadband Internet access to portable computers, mobile phones and other portable devices at a speed averaging one megabits per second per user. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had seven million fixed-line QOOK Internet subscribers and approximately 296,000 Nespot service subscribers.

The other Internet-related services focus primarily on providing infrastructure and solutions for business enterprises, as well as IP-TV and network portal services. It operates seven Internet data centers located throughout the Republic of Korea and provide a range of computing services to companies which need servers, storages and leased lines. Internet data centers are facilities used to house, protect and maintain network server computers that store and deliver Internet and other network content, such a! s Web pag! es, applications and data.

The Internet data centers offer network outsourcing services, server operation services and system support services. The network outsourcing services include co-location, which is the installation of the customers��network equipment at the Internet data centers. The Company also offer a service called Bizmeka to develop and commercialize business-to-business solutions focusing small and medium-sized business enterprises in the Republic of Korea. Bizmeka is an applied application service provider, which provides business solutions, including customer database management and electronic data interchange.

The Company also offers high definition video-on-demand and real-time broadcasting IP-TV services under the brand name QOOK TV. The IP-TV service offers access to a range of digital media contents, including movies, sports, news, educational programs and television replay, for a fixed monthly fee. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had 1.2 million QOOK TV subscribers.

The data communication service involves offering lines, which allow point-to-point connection for voice and data traffic between two or more geographically separate points. It provides broadband Internet connection service to institutional customers under the Kornet brand name.

The Company is also engaged in various business activities, which extends beyond telephone services and data communications services, including information technology and network services, real estate development and car rental business. It offers a range of integrated information technology and network services to the business customers. The range of services include consulting, designing, building and maintaining systems and communication networks, which satisfy the individual needs of the customers in the public and private sectors.

The Company competes with SK Broadband Co., Ltd., LG Telecom Co., Ltd., Onse Telecom Corporation, SK Telink, Inc. and Dreamline.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  ArcelorMittal (MT) is an integrated steel company based in France that sells to a wide range of industries in more than 170 countries around the world. Over the past year, the company has earned gross profits of $74 billion on total assets of $122 billion, so it qualifies as a high-profit company using Novy-Marx�� definition. MT stock currently fetches just 65% of book value, so it’s definitely a bargain issue at this price. Anticipating a stronger steel market in 2014, brokerage and research firm Cowen recently raised its rating on MT stock to “buy,” and also upgraded U.S. Steel (X).

  KT Corporation (KT)

  KT Corporation (KT) is a telecommunications company in Korea. KT Corp. offers traditional fixed-line services as well as voice over Internet protocol service, and also is a leading provider of Internet and broadband services in South Korea. KT is growing its wireless broadband business in partnership with Sony (SNE), Intel (INTC) and Samsung (SSNLF). The company produced gross profits of $32 billion on $34 billion of assets last year, and KT stock trades well under book value right now.

10 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Corning Incorporated(GLW)

Corning Incorporated manufactures and processes specialty glass and ceramics products worldwide. It operates in five segments: Display Technologies, Telecommunications, Environmental Technologies, Specialty Materials, and Life Sciences. The Display Technologies segment manufactures liquid crystal display (LCD) glass for flat panel displays used primarily in notebook computers, flat panel desktop monitors, and LCD televisions. The Telecommunications segment produces optical fiber and cable, and hardware and equipment products, such as cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware, fiber optic connectors, optical components and couplers, closures and pedestals, splice and test equipment, and other accessories for optical connectivity to the telecommunications industry. This segment also offers optical fiber technology products for various applications, such as premises, fiber-to-the-home access, metropolitan, long-haul, and submarine networks. The Environmental Technologies segment manufactures ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile and stationary applications. The Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that provide approximately 150 material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, and fluoride crystals used in commercial and industrial markets. The Life Sciences segment provides scientific laboratory products, such as general labware and equipment, as well as tools for cell culture and bioprocess, genomics and proteomics, and high-throughput screening. This segment also develops and produces various technologies, such as the Corning HYPERFlask Cell Culture Vessel for increased cell yields; and other novel surfaces, which include the Corning CellBIND Surface and the Corning Osteo-Assay surface. The company was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. Corning Incorporated was founded in 1851 and is based in Corning, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Finally, Barrow, Hanley's biggest closed positions included Synovus Financial�and Applied Materials. Other closed positions of interest include Corning (NYSE: GLW  ) , which has not been a standout performer in recent years, in part due to low prices and demand for LCD substrates. The stock recently hit a 52-week high, but still sports a P/E ratio of just 13. Some worry that Corning's acclaimed Gorilla Glass is threatened by rising interest in sapphire, while others argue that it's simply a bargain at recent levels.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Let's look at Corning (NYSE: GLW  ) , for example.

  Why Corning?
  The company is a giant in specialty glasses and fiber optics. Its fortunes are influenced these days by smartphone and tablet makers such as Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) , which use its glass in their displays. Corning's Gorilla Glass is so strong that it has put a crimp in the business of screen-protecting companies such as ZAGG (NASDAQ: ZAGG  ) . Some worry about Apple's interest in sapphire, though, as it's even stronger than Gorilla Glass (though more expensive) and could threaten Corning.

• [By Alex Planes]

  On the other hand, ZAGG's also faced significant headwinds because of the perception that its offerings are commoditized or simply irrelevant. Fool contributor Rex Moore notes that Corning's (NYSE: GLW  ) ever advancements in Gorilla Glass, undermine ZAGG's protective-screen business by essentially catering to the same problem. Furthermore, ZAGG's move into the audio accessories market, which is largely dominated by Skullcandy (NASDAQ: SKUL  ) , couldn't drive much sales growth as the company has to face Skullcandy's discounts -- the headphones segment is becoming highly commoditized, with relatively few exceptions. The mobile-computing accessories market is expected to grow to $60 billion by 2015, but in order to grab a larger slice of that pie, ZAGG will have to find the killer edge that will differentiate it in a tightly packed field.

10 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Orange SA (ORAN)

Orange SA, formerly France Telecom S.A., incorporated on December 31, 1996, is an European mobile operator, an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) Internet access provider in Europe, and telecommunications services provider for multinational businesses under the Orange Business Services brand. As of December 31, 2010, France Telecom provided services to 209 million customers, of which 150 million were mobile phone customers and 13.7 million were broadband Internet customers, and as of June 30, 2011, provided services to 217.3 million customers. It offers its individual customers, businesses and other telecommunications operators a line of services covering fixed and mobile communications, data transmission, the Internet and multimedia, and other services. The Company�� segments include France, Poland, Spain, Rest of the World, Business Communication Services, International Carriers and Shared Services.

France

The range of services in the Home segment in France is made up of fixed-line telephony services; other consumer services; online, Internet access, and multimedia services; advertising-management and Internet portal business; content-related business, and carrier services. France Telecom�� traditional fixed-line telephony services provide access to the network, local and long-distance telephone communication services throughout France, and international calls. In addition, France Telecom offers its fixed-line telephony subscribers a broad range of value-added services. The France Telecom Group has a number of portals, including Orange.fr, which is either Web- or mobile-accessible. In December 2010, its audience reached 22.5 million, and Voila.fr and Cityvox (entertainment and leisure listing site in France) in its different formats, such as Cityvox.fr, Cinefil.com, Spectacles.fr, Concert.fr and WebCity.fr. The primary revenue source is online advertising sold by the Orange Advertising Network. This advertising management department sells advertising space for ab! out 20 third-party sites, both Web and mobile.

Orange�� offers are built around three product lines: postpaid, prepaid and convergent offers. Orange offers two categories of prepaid offer, to which calls are charged by the second from the first second: The Mobicarte, includes a range of recharges from 5 to 100 euros and Orange Initial, which enables the customer to be billed monthly depending on his or her actual consumption. Orange also has a number of offers that pair mobile use and mobile Internet access with all-in-one offers, including both the hardware and an Internet access plan. The USB 3G+ plans enable connection to the Internet via the mobile broadband network or the Orange public wireless fidelity (WiFi) network from a laptop computer, multimedia mobile phone or a tablet personal computer.

The Company competes with SFR-Neuf Cegetel, Free, Bouygues Telecom, Numericable, Google and Voila.

Poland

Orange (the brand under which the TP Group subsidiary, PTK Centertel trades) had a total of 14.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2010. In April 2010, PTK Centertel introduced segmented postpaid offers for residential customers. Depending on the usage profile, customers can choose from three types of tariff plans: Dolphin tariffs for frequent users of voice services, Pelican for customers focused on text and community Web-services, and Panther for users of mobile data services (Internet, email). The mobile broadband Internet customer base (Edge and 3G data services) reached 547,000 customers during 2010. In 2010, Orange introduced a SIM-only mobile Internet offer and a portfolio of terminals dedicated to the Orange Free offer.

The Company competes with Netia, Multimedia Polska, Aster and Hyperion.

Spain

Orange Espana, operating under Orange, Ya.com and OBS (Enterprise) brands offers fixed and mobile telecommunication services to more than 13 million customers in the residential, professional, business and who! lesale se! gments. Orange Espana�� physical distribution network consists in 2,922 points of presence, including Orange own shops, franchises, specialized shops under the Orange brand, non exclusive specialized shops, and a network of retailers. Orange Espana also distributes its services through distance selling channels, and its own online portal. Orange Espana fixed access infrastructure, based on its own optic fiber network and ADSL roll-out, enables delivery of advanced telecommunication services, including broadband Internet access, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), internet protocol television (IPTV), television (TV) streaming, video on demand (VOD) and advanced business services.

The Company competes with Telefonica, ONO, Vodafone and Jazztel.

Rest of the world

The France Telecom Group is present in Luxembourg via Orange S.A. (formerly VOXmobile), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mobistar. The Luxembourg subsidiary, VOXmobile, was renamed Orange S.A. in October 2009. During the year ended December 31, 2010, Orange S.A. had 88,900 active mobile telephony customers.

The Company competes with Proximus, Mobistar, Base, ex-Mobifon, Telefonica O2, Deutsche Telekom, Swisscom, Sunrise, Moldtelecom, Starnet, ECMS, Vodafone Egypt and Etisalat U.A.E.

Enterprise Communications Services

The Orange Business Services brand covers both the Enterprise Communication Services (ECS) unit, which supplies communications services to multinational companies and corporate accounts and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in France and Orange subsidiaries Business-to-Business (B2B) activities.

Orange Business Services covers the Company�� business customers in more than 160 countries and regions where it provides local technical and commercial assistance. This business segment includes a number of subsidiaries, including Etrali (trading solutions), Almerys (health), Orange Consulting (project management, telecom consulting), Multimedia Business Se! rvices (m! ultimedia contact centers), Neocles (virtualization solutions), IT&Labs (design and development of embedded Machine-to-Machine applications, vehicle fleet management), Obiane and Telecom System (secure network integration), Alsy (integration services), EGT (equipment and services for video conferences), and GlobeCast (multimedia broadcast systems).

The Company competes with IBM, HP, Microsoft and Cisco.

The Company competes with COLT Telecom, Numericable-Completel, BT Global Services, AT&T Business Services, Verizon Business, T-Systems, Reliance Globalcom, Tata Communications, Belgacom Group, NextiraOne, Spie Communication, NTT Group, IBM Global Services, HP Enterprise Services, Atos Origin, Salesforce and Amazon.

International Carriers and Shared Services

Orange�� International Carriers activity is based on long-distance network infrastructure and offers a range of solutions on the international market. The Company is involved in the design, construction and operation of submarine cables. The Company�� wholesale activity includes a worldwide network with over 120 presence points and 130,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable; a worldwide network of Internet protocol (IP) routes with end users in over 220 countries and connections to over 250 Internet service providers and a hit rate of over 85% for all European net surfers. France Telecom�� network has over 330 direct routes and interconnections with over 359 operators, and coverage in over 900 destinations with around-the-clock technical support. Its range of solutions includes interconnection, interoperability and signaling solutions for messaging, voice and video telephony services and the Orange Roaming Hub (Global eXchange) solution for moving from a bilateral model to a multilateral roaming system.

France Telecom has developed activities related to its core business line, such as content broadcasting, audience and advertising, and also healthcare activities. Orange offers free a! nd paying! content on its own channels, paid program packages, Video On Demand, music and game offers. Orange distributes content provided by third parties (television, games, music) on fixed-line and mobile networks both inside and outside France. Orange also produces its own channels: Orange Sport and Orange Cinema�� five different channels. Studio 37, is a subsidiary for investing in cinematographic rights, through both co-production and the acquisition of catalogue rights. During the year ended December 32, 2010, Studio 37 supported the launch of 15 films, including the Gainsbourg and Fatal. The Viaccess group, a France Telecom subsidiary, offers access solutions to television content. Orange is present in the games market through the games it sells on the orange.fr portal (Casual Games dedicated to family type games, such as breakout clones or riddles). Orange Healthcare, is the Company�� healthcare division, focused on developing service packages for the whole sector within a partnership approach.

The Company competes with Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom, Telia Sonera and AT&T.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Barel Karsan]

  About a year ago, Orange (ORAN) was brought up on this site as a potential value investment. (Back then, we knew it as France Telecom (FTE).) Sentiment was in the toilet. A weak European economy combined with new regulations and an upstart competitor scared investors away, resulting in price to free cash flow ratios in the single digits. But these are exactly the conditions under which investors should be buying. When temporary issues (and there were a trifecta here!) affect a historically profitable business in an industry with barriers to entry, it can create a buying opportunity if investors are running scared. That appears to have been what happened here. The regulatory issues eased up as did the competitive environment, and shares of Orange have risen 60% to what I would consider a more appropriate valuation. Some of the comments I received when I wrote the article last year include: "FTE will end, but I think it has more than enough strength to limp on for another decade at least, dragging on yield hungry investors that don't know any better." "Lets not look at the horrible French economy" "worsening unemployment" "government that loves to socialize, ruin their private businesses" "It's been in decline year after year after year." Such macro-economic, backward-looking forecasts have no place in value investing! Go against the crowd.Disclosure: No position

• [By Eric Volkman]

  France Telecom (NYSE: ORAN  ) will soon be no more, at least as far as its appellation is concerned. This summer, the company will change its moniker. Effective July 1, it will be known instead as Orange. Additionally, the firm will have a new ticker symbol -- ORA -- to accompany this modification.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  France Telcom (NYSE: ORAN  ) is a classic income stock. Its double-digit dividend yield is powered by stable cash flows in a maturing industry.

• [By Chandan Dubey]

  I have been holding shares of Orange (ORAN)(XPAR:ORA), previously known as France Telecom, since December 2011. In this article, I want to discuss some of the things that worry me about the company.

10 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Virgin Media Inc.(VMED)

Virgin Media Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides entertainment and communications services in the United Kingdom. The company offers cable broadband Internet, television, and fixed line telephone services under the Virgin Media brand to residential customers; mobile telephony services through Virgin Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator; broadband and telephone services to residential customers through third-party telecommunications networks; and video on demand services, including access to movies, television programs, music videos, and other on-demand content, as well as provides digital video recorders. It also offers voice, data, and Internet solutions to commercial customers comprising analog telephony and managed data networks and applications, as well as supplies communications services to health and emergency services providers. As of December 31, 2011, the company provided cable broadband services to approximately 4 million subscribers; cable television s ervices to approximately 3.76 million residential subscribers; cable telephony services to approximately 4.2 million residential subscribers; mobile telephony services to approximately 3 million customers; non-cable fixed line telephone services to approximately 163,300 subscribers; and voice, data, and Internet solutions to approximately 50,000 businesses and 250 public sector organizations. The company offers its products and services through telesales, customer care centers, and online, as well as through its sales force. It serves mobile and fixed-line service providers, systems integrators, and Internet service providers; and private and public sector organizations. The company was formerly known as NTL Incorporated and changed its name to Virgin Media Inc. in February 2007. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Brugger]

  Upon Liberty Global's (NASDAQ: LBTYA  ) successfully closing its acquisition of Virgin Media (NASDAQ: VMED  ) , Tom Mockridge will assume CEO responsibilities of the U.K. communications firm, Liberty Global announced today.

• [By Markos Kaminis]

  Whether the stock is overvalued or not does not matter at this point, because an impact to its subscriber base due to the data sharing news would probably change market expectations for the company's operations and affect both earnings estimates and valuation multiples. It would probably drive the shares lower in my view, and I see no reason to risk that by holding the stock. Long-term holders, of course, have tax considerations to consider, and the news is still filing out. If Verizon's peers are also implicated clearly, perhaps with the aid of a Verizon PR push, this issue would be effectively mitigated. Though even in that case, there could be market share loss by all major American firms, with companies like T-Mobile US (TMUS) and Virgin Media (VMED) benefiting, whether they have also been involved or not. In any event, for new stakeholders, or those willing to deal with tax implications; or for those interested in a potential short opportunity, I would sell the stock today. I see no reason to bear risk while this issue and its implications are still unraveling, and while VZ has thus far not been significantly discounted for it.