Verizon Earnings Show Why Its Stock Is This Year's Wireless Winner — Barrons.com

What happened

Verizon reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.31 a share on revenue of $34.3 billion, beating analyst estimates, added 406,000 postpaid phone customers, raised full-year guidance to $5.04-$5.06 a share, and signed a deal worth more than $2 billion with Amazon to build fiberoptic connectivity for AI data centers.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

Strong customer additions and a third straight guidance raise suggest Verizon's turnaround and cost cuts are supporting profit and subscriber growth, which helps explain why its stock has beaten AT&T and T-Mobile this year despite fears about SpaceX disruption, giving investors a steadier wireless holding.

Analyst inference

Verizon shares were flat at $44.67 before the open and up 9.6% for the year through Friday, while AT&T and T-Mobile fell 16% and 28% over the same period, showing investors have favored Verizon's improving earnings and cost cuts over rivals facing more pressure.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Verizon now expects full-year adjusted earnings of $5.04 to $5.06 a share, its third straight quarterly guidance raise, so future updates will show whether customer growth and cost cuts keep supporting that higher profit range. Confirmed
2. The Amazon deal worth more than $2 billion to build fiberoptic connectivity for AI data centers could become a new revenue source, so watch for details on timing, spending, and how much of the work Verizon books as sales. Proposed
3. Because Verizon's stock is up 9.6% this year while AT&T and T-Mobile are down 16% and 28%, watch whether continued subscriber additions and earnings beats keep drawing investors toward Verizon as the preferred wireless holding. Analyst inference

Evidence

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