Cable Deal Completed

Comcast Corp., the third-largest U.S. cable TV company, completed the $2.75-billion purchase of cable systems in six states from AT&T; Corp., the country’s largest provider. Comcast is buying AT&T; systems serving 595,000 homes in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Mexico and Tennessee. Comcast has spent $16 billion in the last three years buying cable systems, mainly in the Northeast, to form a larger geographic cluster of customers. AT&T; has been selling cable systems for cash needed to pay down debt. New York-based AT&T; now has 14.9 million subscribers, while Philadelphia-based Comcast serves 8.4 million homes. Comcast Special Class A shares rose 54 cents to $44.45. The stock has climbed 13% in the last year. Shares of AT&T;, which have dropped 53% in the past year, rose 80 cents to $23.08.