Verizon Raises 2026 Guidance

What happened

Verizon raised its full-year 2026 adjusted earnings per share guidance to $5.04 to $5.06, or 7.0 to 7.5 percent growth, up from a prior 6.0 to 7.0 percent outlook. It also lifted postpaid phone net addition estimates to 1.1 million to 1.2 million.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

A higher profit forecast signals Verizon expects steadier subscriber growth and service revenue to support earnings. More postpaid phone customers, which are monthly phone subscribers, can lift recurring service revenue and help offset weaker equipment sales, supporting future cash available for dividends and network spending.

Analyst inference

In the third quarter, Verizon's mobility and broadband service revenue grew 2.9 percent, but a 9.0 percent drop in equipment revenue held total operating revenue growth to 1.5 percent. The raised 2026 outlook suggests management expects service revenue to carry results despite soft phone hardware sales.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Verizon projects 2026 mobility and broadband service revenue in the upper half of its 2.5 to 3.0 percent growth guidance, with about 4.0 percent growth in fourth-quarter 2026. Confirmed
2. Watch whether Verizon can deliver 1.1 million to 1.2 million postpaid phone net additions in 2026, which the company says is more than three times its 2025 level. Proposed
3. Track equipment revenue, which fell 9.0 percent year-over-year in the third quarter; continued weakness there could offset service revenue gains and pressure total operating revenue growth. Analyst inference

Evidence

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