Core Viewpoint - Investing in ultra-high-yield dividend stocks can generate significant passive income, with a potential of over $3,700 from a $50,000 investment by 2026. Group 1: Ares Capital - Ares Capital offers a dividend yield of approximately 9.4%, with an expected dividend income of around $940 from a $10,000 investment this year [2][4]. - The company has maintained or grown its dividend for 65 consecutive quarters, indicating a stable dividend trend [4]. Group 2: Energy Transfer LP - Energy Transfer LP has a forward distribution yield of 7.6%, which would yield at least $760 in passive income from a $10,000 investment by 2026 [5][6]. - The company is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for electricity in the U.S. due to its extensive natural gas pipeline network and storage capacity [6]. Group 3: Pfizer - Pfizer's forward dividend yield is nearly 6.9%, translating to approximately $690 in passive income from a $10,000 investment by 2026 [7][10]. - Despite a high dividend payout ratio of 99.4%, Pfizer continues to generate sufficient free cash flow to maintain its dividend, with plans for future growth [8][10]. Group 4: Verizon Communications - Verizon Communications has a forward dividend yield just below 7%, expected to add around $700 to passive income from a $10,000 investment this year [11]. - The company has announced its 19th consecutive annual dividend increase, supported by robust free cash flow growth [12]. Group 5: Vici Properties - Vici Properties has a forward dividend yield of nearly 6.5%, contributing to a total passive income of over $3,700 when combined with the previous stocks [13][15]. - As a real estate investment trust (REIT), Vici is required to return at least 90% of its profits as dividends, and it owns a significant portfolio of high-profile gaming and entertainment properties [15].

Core Viewpoint - Verizon experienced a significant service outage affecting approximately 2.3 million customers, leading to widespread frustration and demands for compensation [1][4][5] Group 1: Service Outage Details - The outage occurred on January 14, impacting customers in states including New York, Texas, Georgia, and California, with devices going into SOS-only mode [1] - The outage lasted about 10 hours, during which customers were unable to make regular calls [4] - Verizon attributed the outage to a software issue and is conducting a full review of the incident [7] Group 2: Customer Reactions - Customers expressed dissatisfaction on social media, with some threatening to switch providers due to the outage [2][3] - Many customers demanded compensation, with one stating that their business could not operate due to the outage [2] - Verizon's response included a $20 credit for affected customers, which can be redeemed through the myVerizon app [4][5] Group 3: Company Challenges - The outage comes at a challenging time for Verizon, as the company has been losing customers due to price increases and competition from rivals like T-Mobile and MVNOs [8][9] - In the third quarter of 2025, Verizon reported a churn rate of 0.91%, with 7,000 postpaid customers leaving [9] - A recent survey indicated that many consumers are exploring affordable phone plans, highlighting a shift in customer preferences [10] Group 4: Leadership and Strategy - Verizon's new CEO, Dan Schulman, acknowledged that previous price increases contributed to customer loss and emphasized the need for a customer-centric approach [11][12] - Schulman stated that the company must focus on building loyalty and improving retention, moving away from a strategy reliant on price hikes [12][13] - Recent layoffs of over 13,000 employees were part of efforts to simplify operations and enhance customer experience [13][14] Group 5: Consumer Satisfaction Insights - A J.D. Power survey revealed that Verizon's customer satisfaction score for postpaid plans is 583, lower than T-Mobile's 636 and MVNOs' 641 [17] - The survey indicated that 90% of consumers would consider alternatives to traditional carriers, with cost being a primary factor for 85% of respondents [16] - Value and service quality are identified as critical drivers of overall customer experience in the telecom market [18][19]

Core Viewpoint - Verizon Communications experienced a nationwide outage affecting text, voice, and data services, leading to customer complaints and the issuance of emergency alerts. The company has promised account credits to affected customers, which may impact its stock performance in the future [1][2][5]. Group 1: Outage Details - The outage lasted for several hours, causing significant inconvenience for customers who rely on their phones for work, emergencies, and digital transactions [2]. - Verizon confirmed that the outage has been resolved and announced plans to provide account credits to affected customers, specifically a $20 credit [3][4]. Group 2: Financial Implications - If all of Verizon's over 140 million customers qualify for the credits, the total cost could exceed $2.8 billion, with potential increases as the company contacts business customers directly [6]. - The financial impact of the outage is expected to be reflected in Verizon's first quarter results, with speculation on whether the company will disclose specific figures related to the outage or provide general guidance [7].

Core Viewpoint - StandardAero Inc. will replace Frontier Communications Parent Inc. in the S&P MidCap 400 index effective January 22, 2026, due to Verizon Communications Inc.'s acquisition of Frontier Communications [1] Group 1: Index Changes - Effective January 22, 2026, StandardAero will be added to the S&P MidCap 400 index under the ticker SARO in the Industrials sector [1] - Effective January 22, 2026, Frontier Communications Parent will be deleted from the S&P MidCap 400 index under the ticker FYBR in the Communication Services sector [1] Group 2: Acquisition Details - Verizon Communications Inc. is acquiring Frontier Communications Parent, with the deal expected to close soon pending final conditions [1]

Core Insights - Verizon Communications announced a $20 account credit for customers affected by a recent outage, which impacted over 2 million users [2][3][5] - The outage was resolved by 10:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, but the cause remains undisclosed [3] - Customers will receive a text notification when the credit is available, while business customers will be contacted directly [2][4] Customer Impact - The $20 credit is intended to cover several days of a cell phone plan for affected customers [2] - Verizon has not specified a deadline for customers to redeem the credit [4] - As of the latest quarterly report, Verizon has 146.1 million total retail wireless phone lines connected to its service [5] Industry Context - The recent outage is part of a broader trend of service disruptions among major cloud and software providers, including competitors like AT&T, which also experienced a significant outage earlier this year [6] - Verizon's stock was down 0.7% in early-afternoon trading, with a 2% gain over the past 12 months, underperforming the S&P 500 index, which gained 17% in the same period [7]

Core Viewpoint - Verizon Communications experienced a significant service outage that affected cellular data and voice services, raising concerns among customers and shareholders about the company's operational reliability and cybersecurity [1][2]. Company Overview - Verizon is one of the largest telecom companies in the U.S., with 210 million wireless customers, 10.6 million broadband customers, and 31 million business accounts [3]. - The company has a market capitalization of $166 billion, making it the third-largest U.S. telecom by market cap, following T-Mobile US and AT&T [4]. Financial Performance - Verizon's stock dropped nearly 3% during the outage, and while it has not fully recovered, shares are up nearly 2.5% over the last year, underperforming the S&P 500, which is up 17% [3][4]. - The company offers a generous dividend yield of 7%, paying $0.69 per share, resulting in a total return of 10.1% over the last 12 months when dividends are considered [5]. Leadership Changes - Verizon is under new leadership, with Daniel Schulman taking over as CEO in October 2025, who has committed to implementing changes to improve the company's stock price [5]. - Schulman acknowledged that Verizon is not meeting its potential and is not delivering the expected shareholder returns, despite significant investments in network leadership [6].

Core Insights - Verizon Communications, Inc. has secured all regulatory approvals for the $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications, which is essential for its long-term growth strategy [1][8] - The acquisition will expand Verizon's fiber reach to over 30 million passings across 31 states, significantly enhancing its market presence [1][8] Company Performance - As of Q3 2025, Frontier reported 3.3 million broadband customers and added 326,000 fiber passings, reaching a total of 8.8 million fiber locations [2] - Verizon will gain access to Frontier's substantial user base post-acquisition, which includes 133,000 new fiber broadband customers [2] Strategic Opportunities - The acquisition presents significant cross-selling opportunities, allowing Frontier customers to access Verizon's premium mobility, home internet, streaming, and connected home services [3] - Verizon plans to introduce bundled mobile and home internet plans, which may reduce customer churn in a competitive telecom market [3] Market Trends - The Fiber to the Home broadband market was valued at $56.03 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.4% from 2025 to 2030, indicating a favorable market environment for Verizon's expansion [4] Competitive Landscape - Verizon faces competition from AT&T and Charter Communications, with AT&T expanding its fiber network to 30 million locations and planning to acquire Lumen's fiber internet business [5] - Charter is investing $7 billion to enhance its fiber-optic network, focusing on rural internet service [6] Financial Metrics - Verizon's stock has gained 2.6% over the past year, contrasting with a 2.8% decline in the Wireless National industry [7] - The company's shares currently trade at a price/earnings ratio of 8.16, down from the industry's 11.34 [9]

Group 1 - The mobile giant has resolved the service outage issue, but some customers still report lack of service, with 1.5 million users affected according to Downdetector [1] - As of 2:30 p.m. ET, there were still 893 outage reports, indicating ongoing issues more than 24 hours after the initial service disruption began [1] - The outage primarily affected iPhone users, who reported seeing an "SOS" icon during the service interruption [1] Group 2 - Continued outages were reported in major cities including Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Tampa, Dallas, and Houston as of 3 p.m. ET [2] - Verizon has announced it will contact affected customers and provide a $20 credit as compensation for the inconvenience caused by the outage [2]

Core Insights - The company successfully navigated conflicting demands from federal and state officials to close the acquisition [1] Group 1 - The acquisition faced challenges due to differing requirements from federal and state authorities [1]

Receipt of California regulatory approval on January 15, 2026 clears path to close transaction on January 20, 2026Approved transaction is expected to expand fiber access to almost 30 million homes and businesses and accelerate Verizon’s national mobility and broadband convergence strategy Best mobile and home offers are expected to be available for customers after closing BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and DALLAS, Jan. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) ("Verizon") and Frontie ...