The FOCUS Communications Service Provider Index (CSPI) dropped 12.8% in the past three months. This is the fourth straight period (a full year) where the sector suffered a negative return. Losses were broad based, with every sub sector in the CSPI in negative territory. The broader indices were also down this period with the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ falling 16.5% and 22.4%, respectively. Not surprisingly given this recent string of losses, the CSPI is deeply in negative territory for the full year period with a decline of slightly more than 31%. This decline is even larger than the substantial declines in the broader indices of 11.9% in the S&P 500 and 24.0% in the NASDAQ. Sector multiples are meaningfully lower than they were a year ago.The sector revenue multiple went from 3.1x to 2.5x, while the sector EBITDA multiple went from 8.7x to 7.1x.

The FOCUS Communications Service Provider Index (CSPI) dropped 12.8% in the past three months.This is the fourth straight period (a full year) where the sector suffered a negative return. Losses were broad based, with every sub sector in the CSPI in negative territory. The broader indices were also down this period with the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ falling 16.5% and 22.4%, respectively. Not surprisingly given this recent string of losses, the CSPI is deeply in negative territory for the full year period with a decline of slightly more than 31%. This decline is even larger than the substantial declines in the broader indices of 11.9% in the S&P 500 and 24.0% in the NASDAQ. Sector multiples are meaningfully lower than they were a year ago.The sector revenue multiple went from 3.1x to 2.5x, while the sector EBITDA multiple went from 8.7x to 7.1x. DOWNLOAD TO READ MORE

The FOCUS Carrier-Focused Telecom Technology Index (CFTTI) did not escape from the overall market carnage and dropped 15.8% in our summer reporting period. This decline was steeper than the drop in both the S&P 500 (down 5.5%) and the NASDAQ (down 12.1%). This period’s declines were also enough to push the sector into negative territory for the full year. The CFTTI is now down 15.7% compared to this time last year, which once again compares unfavorably to the 1.7% drop in the S&P 500 and the 12.1% drop in the NASDAQ. Sector multiples continued to decline. The sector revenue multiple dropped from 2.6x a year ago to 2.1x currently, and the sector EBITDA multiple fell from 12.8x to 10.2x over the same time frame.

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The FOCUS Enterprise-Focused Telecom Technology Index (EFTTI) continued its downward slide with a loss of 8.4% in the past three months. This performance was essentially in-line with the 8.5% loss in the S&P 500 but better than the 13.4% drop in the NASDAQ over the corresponding time period. The EFTTI is also in negative territory for the full year with a decline of 6.4%. This underperformed the 1.2% dip in the S&P 500 but outperformed the NASDAQ’s 11.7% decline. Compared to this time last year, the sector revenue multiple dropped from 6.3x to 5.4x.The sector EBITDA multiple also declined, but at a much more modest rate as it went from 24.0x a year ago to 21.8x currently.