Verizon Reports Strong Q4 Beats and 2026 Outlook
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 30 2026
0mins
Should l Buy VZ?
Source: seekingalpha
- Optimistic Full-Year Outlook: Verizon anticipates retail postpaid phone net additions of 750,000 to 1 million for 2026, with adjusted EPS expected between $4.90 and $4.95, reflecting a growth of 4% to 5%, which would surpass market expectations and demonstrate the company's robust performance in a competitive telecom landscape.
- Q4 Performance Exceeds Expectations: The company reported a net income of $2.45 billion for Q4, with earnings per share of $0.55, showing a year-over-year decline; however, the adjusted EPS of $1.09 beat analyst forecasts, indicating effective revenue and cost management.
- Significant User Growth: Verizon added 616,000 postpaid phone subscribers in Q4, significantly exceeding the market expectation of 420,491 by 22%, reflecting successful strategies in user acquisition and retention, thereby enhancing market competitiveness.
- Strong Cash Flow: The company expects operational cash flow of $37.5 billion to $38 billion and free cash flow of at least $21.5 billion for 2026, showcasing effective capital expenditure and operational efficiency management, which supports future investment and growth plans.
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Analyst Views on VZ
Wall Street analysts forecast VZ stock price to fall
14 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
10 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 49.390
Low
43.00
Averages
46.42
High
51.00
Current: 49.390
Low
43.00
Averages
46.42
High
51.00
About VZ
Verizon Communications Inc. is a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides communications, technology, information and streaming products and services to consumers, businesses and government entities. Its Consumer segment provides wireless and wireline communications services. It also provides fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband through its 5G or 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks portfolio. The Company's Business segment provides wireless and wireline communications services and products, including FWA broadband, data, video and advanced communication services, corporate networking solutions, security and managed network services, local and long-distance voice services and network access to deliver various Internet of Things (IoT) services and products. It provides these products and services to businesses, public sector customers and wireless and wireline carriers across the U.S. and a subset of these products and services to customers around the world.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Significant User Growth: In Q4 2025, Verizon reported 616,000 postpaid phone net additions, the highest quarterly net additions since 2019, indicating strong market demand and customer acquisition.
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