TLDR
- Verizon shares climbed approximately 4% during premarket hours following stronger-than-expected Q1 results
- Company reported 55,000 net postpaid phone subscriber additions — marking the first positive Q1 performance since 2013
- Adjusted earnings per share reached $1.28, surpassing Wall Street’s $1.21 projection
- 2026 full-year EPS outlook increased to $4.95–$4.99, up from previous guidance of $4.90–$4.95
- January network outage temporarily impacted wireless service revenue through $20 customer reimbursements
Verizon delivered first-quarter earnings on Monday that exceeded investor expectations, sending shares higher. The telecommunications giant saw its stock price climb approximately 4% in premarket activity, hitting $48.33.
Verizon Communications Inc., VZ
The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.28 per share, topping the analyst consensus forecast of $1.21 per share compiled by FactSet. Total revenue reached $34.4 billion, representing a 2.9% year-over-year increase, although falling marginally short of the $34.8 billion Wall Street estimate.
The real story wasn’t the earnings figure itself — it was subscriber performance. The company added 55,000 net postpaid phone subscribers during the quarter. Wall Street had anticipated a loss of approximately 81,000–88,000 customers.
This marks the first time Verizon has delivered positive postpaid phone net additions in a first quarter since 2013. For a telecommunications provider that’s been working to steady its wireless operations, this represents a significant turning point.
What’s Behind the Customer Growth
CEO Dan Schulman attributed the improvement to a transformed customer approach. “We are beginning to reclaim our market leadership by putting the customer at the center of everything we do, reducing friction to increase loyalty and create genuine value,” he explained.
A key component of this approach involved aggressively targeting competitors’ customers. The company provided enhanced deals to consumers who presented bills from AT&T and T-Mobile, successfully drawing subscribers away from rivals.
The telecommunications provider has also emphasized bundled service offerings — pairing home internet with wireless plans — a strategy AT&T has utilized successfully to improve customer retention. Early indicators suggest this approach is delivering results.
These quarterly results also incorporate Frontier for the first time, following the completion of that acquisition on January 20.
One notable challenge: wireless service revenue experienced pressure from $20 credits distributed to customers after a roughly 10-hour service disruption in January. Hundreds of thousands of subscribers received this reimbursement, creating a modest drag on revenue.
Guidance Gets a Boost
Verizon elevated its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $4.95–$4.99 per share. This represents an increase from the prior forecast of $4.90–$4.95, and exceeds the $4.90 analyst consensus at the midpoint.
The telecommunications company also indicated it now anticipates total retail postpaid phone net additions for 2026 will land in the upper portion of its 750,000 to 1 million guidance range.
While subtle, this represents a meaningful revision. Verizon isn’t merely exceeding Q1 expectations — it’s signaling to the investment community that sustained momentum lies ahead.
S&P 500 futures traded relatively flat on Monday as the broader market awaited major technology sector earnings releases.
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