Public Markets
Once again, the FOCUS Telecom Business Services Index (TBSI) climbed higher, gaining 3.5% over the past three months. This marks the fifth straight period with a positive return for the sector. However, the TBSI did lag the broader indices as the S&P 500 was up 8.2% and the NASDAQ was up 9.5% over the same time period. When looked at over the past 12 months, the sector’s return compares more favorably to the overall market. The 43.3% year-over-year gain in the TBSI outperforms the 38.6% gain in the S&P 500 and falls just shy of the 44.2% gain in the NASDAQ. Sector multiples are also higher than at this same time last year and closed out the period at 0.7x revenue and 9.6x EBITDA. This compares to year-ago multiples of 0.6x revenue and 7.4x EBITDA.
