Summary of Verizon (VZ) 2025 Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) - **Event**: 32nd Annual BofA Media Telecom Conference - **Date**: September 03, 2025 Key Points Spectrum Position and Strategy - Verizon is satisfied with its current spectrum position, having made investments in C-Band and opportunistic acquisitions, aiming to operate the best network globally [5][6] - The company emphasizes a build-buy strategy for spectrum, focusing on financial discipline and compatibility with existing assets [6][7] - Recent acquisitions, such as from UScellular, have provided Verizon with valuable spectrum, with an average of 2 MHz nationally and up to 25 MHz in specific areas [6] Competitive Environment and Churn - The competitive landscape has led to increased churn, with approximately 10 basis points of churn attributed to competition rather than pricing [8][9] - Verizon is focused on acquiring high-quality customers, which offsets the higher costs of acquisition and retention [9][10] - Strategic price increases have also contributed to churn, but the company maintains a focus on long-term shareholder value through service revenue, EBITDA, and free cash flow [10][11] Customer Strategy - Verizon does not auto-migrate prepaid customers to postpaid, focusing instead on maintaining a strong credit-based customer base with an average FICO score of 720 [12] - The company has seen strong gross adds over the past ten quarters, with a focus on improving customer experience and reducing churn through AI and streamlined processes [14][16] - The value proposition for customers is being enhanced, with efforts to clarify the benefits of Verizon's offerings compared to competitors [19][20] Industry Growth and Net Adds - The wireless ecosystem is projected to see net adds between 8 and 8.5 million in 2025, with a decline expected in immigration impacting future growth [23] - The switcher pool is driven by new entrants to the market and migrations from prepaid to postpaid, with Verizon aiming to capture a larger share [24] Fiber and Fixed Wireless Strategy - Verizon is confident in closing the Frontier Communications deal by Q1 2026, which will enhance its fiber offerings and customer base [26][27] - The company aims to achieve 8 to 9 million customers in Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), with strong customer satisfaction metrics [30] - Challenges in scaling FWA in Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs) are acknowledged, but the company remains optimistic about long-term growth [31] Capital Allocation and Financial Strategy - Verizon's capital allocation strategy prioritizes funding the business for sustainable growth, followed by dividends, debt management, and share buybacks [48][49] - The company has reduced unsecured debt by $7 billion and aims to maintain a leverage ratio between 2 and 2.25 [49] - Future capital investments will focus on broadband growth, C-Band coverage, and enhancing customer experience [52][53] Prepaid Business Performance - Verizon's prepaid business has shown significant improvement, with a projected positive contribution to service revenue in 2025 [55] - The company has successfully segmented its prepaid offerings, enhancing distribution and marketing strategies to attract customers [56][59] Conclusion - Verizon is strategically positioned in the telecom industry with a focus on spectrum management, customer quality, and financial discipline. The upcoming Frontier acquisition is expected to bolster its fiber and broadband capabilities, while the company continues to navigate competitive pressures and enhance its service offerings.

Core Insights - Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Ng indicates that 2026 may be a pivotal year for the U.S. telecommunications and cable industry due to the accelerated integration of mobile and fixed-line services and increasing competition [1] Group 1: Company Performance - AT&T and T-Mobile are identified as having the most favorable growth trajectories, attributed to their ongoing investments in spectrum resources and network modernization [1] - T-Mobile holds a significant advantage in network quality due to its extensive mid-band spectrum holdings, while AT&T showcases strong network capabilities through industry-leading capital investments and infrastructure [1] - Verizon is rated as "buy" as its service revenue growth is expected to increase with the acceleration of average revenue per user (ARPU) for postpaid mobile services [2] Group 2: Market Trends - The U.S. is projected to see over 55 million new fiber-covered users between 2024 and 2029, which will act as a growth engine for telecom companies by reducing churn rates and enhancing customer lifetime value and profitability [1] - The fixed wireless access (FWA) sector sees T-Mobile as the most proactive player, while AT&T's investment is comparatively lower but will benefit from the transition away from copper networks [2] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Charter Communications and Altice USA are rated as "sell" due to intense competition from fixed wireless access and fiber services, which may adversely affect their operational performance [3] - The bundling of cable and wireless services is viewed as a preferred consumer choice, with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile leading in this competitive area [3][4] - Despite having the largest bundled service user base, cable companies are still losing broadband users, indicating that bundling strategies may only mitigate user churn rather than prevent it entirely [4]

Core Viewpoint - Verizon has experienced stagnant stock performance over the past decade, with a current stock price approximately 5% lower than it was ten years ago, despite offering a high dividend yield of over 6% [3][4]. Group 1: Stock Performance - A $10,000 investment in Verizon stock a decade ago would now be worth only $9,535, indicating a decline in stock value [3]. - Including dividends and assuming reinvestment, the total return on that investment has grown to over 60%, making it worth about $16,030 today [4]. - In comparison, a $10,000 investment in a top S&P 500 ETF would have grown to more than $38,800, highlighting Verizon's underperformance relative to the broader market [4]. Group 2: Growth Challenges - Verizon's revenue and earnings are currently growing at a low- to mid-single-digit rate, which is significantly slower than many competitors [5]. - The company has attempted to accelerate growth through acquisitions, such as AOL and Yahoo!, but these efforts have not yielded the expected results, leading to the sale of the media division for $5 billion in 2021 [5]. - Intense competition from other mobile and broadband carriers has further hindered Verizon's growth prospects [5]. Group 3: Future Outlook - Verizon is focusing on investing in 5G and fiber to restart its growth engine, but without a significant acceleration in growth, it is unlikely to produce market-beating total returns in the future [6]. - The attractive dividend remains a key appeal for income-seeking investors, despite the lack of growth [6].

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of holding high-yield dividend stocks for the long term, highlighting five specific companies that demonstrate sustainability in their dividends and growth potential. Group 1: AbbVie - AbbVie has successfully navigated the patent cliff of its leading drug Humira, which previously accounted for over 60% of its sales, and continues to grow despite declining sales from this drug [3][4] - The company has invested in research and development and made strategic acquisitions, positioning itself for long-term success [4] - AbbVie is recognized as a Dividend King, having increased its dividend for 53 consecutive years, with a payout increase of 310% since its spin-off from Abbott Labs in 2013, currently yielding 3.16% [5] Group 2: Enbridge - Enbridge operates with a low-risk, utility-like business model, transporting 30% of North America's crude oil and 20% of the U.S. natural gas, making it a stable investment [7][8] - The company is the largest natural gas utility in North America and is investing in renewable energy, projecting $50 billion in growth opportunities through the end of the decade [8] - Enbridge has a forward dividend yield of 5.71% and has increased its dividend for 30 consecutive years [9] Group 3: Enterprise Products Partners - Enterprise Products Partners is a midstream energy leader with over 50,000 miles of pipeline, transporting various energy products [10] - Unlike Enbridge, it does not operate a natural gas utility and is structured as a limited partnership, which may involve tax complexities [11] - The company offers a high distribution yield of 6.82% and has increased its distribution for 27 consecutive years [11] Group 4: Realty Income - Realty Income has provided positive operational returns every year since its NYSE listing in 1994, supported by a diversified property portfolio with 1,630 clients across 91 industries [12][13] - The company employs a triple-net-lease business model, transferring most costs to tenants, and has significant growth opportunities in Europe [13] - Realty Income currently yields 5.55% and has increased its payout for 30 consecutive years [14] Group 5: Verizon Communications - Verizon is one of the largest wireless providers globally, benefiting from high entry barriers in the wireless network market [15] - Despite past performance challenges, the company is currently generating industry-leading wireless service revenue and has potential growth with the rollout of 6G networks by the end of the decade [16] - Verizon's dividend yield is 6.17%, and it has increased its dividend for 18 consecutive years, with expectations for continued growth [17]

Thousands of Verizon customers nationwide reported service outages Saturday after the network experienced a “software issue” impacting wireless service for some users.“Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue,” Verizon said in a statement to CBS.Downdetector reports of Verizon issues spiked on Saturday evening. Down Detector “Please visit our Check Network Status page for updates on service in your area. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for an ...

Company Overview - Verizon Communications Inc. generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024, serving millions of customers globally and nearly all of the Fortune 500 [2]. Upcoming Events - Tony Skiadas, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Verizon, is scheduled to speak at the Citi 2025 Global TMT Conference on September 4 at 8:50 a.m. ET, with his remarks available via webcast [1].

Core Insights - Verizon Communications Inc. generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024, showcasing its strong market position and ability to meet customer demands for mobility and reliable network connectivity [2]. Group 1: Company Overview - Verizon is headquartered in New York City and serves customers worldwide, including nearly all of the Fortune 500 [2]. - The company focuses on delivering mobility, reliable network connectivity, and security to its millions of customers [2]. Group 2: Upcoming Events - Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Executive Vice President and CEO for Verizon Consumer, is scheduled to speak at the BofA Securities 2025 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference on September 3, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. ET [1].

Key Takeaways Verizon's Business segment revenues slipped to $7.27B in Q2, down from $7.3B last year.High churn rates and weak public sector demand pressured Verizon's subscriber growth.In 2025, Verizon's enterprise and public sector revenues are estimated to fall 1.8% year over year.Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) is affected by weakness in the Business Segment, which primarily includes the wireless and wireline operations of wholesale, public sector and other, small and medium business, and global enterp ...

Core Insights - Verizon Communications Inc. has elected Jennifer K. Mann, an Executive Vice President at The Coca-Cola Company, to its Board of Directors, effective immediately [1][2]. Company Overview - Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024, serving millions of customers and nearly all of the Fortune 500 [5]. Board Composition - With the addition of Ms. Mann, the Verizon board now consists of 11 directors, bringing a diverse mix of perspectives and expertise [2]. Ms. Mann's Background - Ms. Mann has 28 years of experience at Coca-Cola, where she has held various leadership roles, including President of the North America Operating Unit and President of Global Ventures [2][3]. - She has been responsible for overseeing significant acquisitions and investments, including the Costa Coffee acquisition and the investment in Monster Beverage Corp [3]. Educational and Community Involvement - Ms. Mann holds a B.A. in Accounting from Georgia State University and is involved with several charitable organizations, reflecting her commitment to community and education [4].

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Weaker than Market" rating for the U.S. stock market [1] Core Insights - After a pullback, the U.S. stock market has shown significant recovery, with small-cap stocks outperforming [3] - The S&P 500 index increased by 0.3%, while the Nasdaq decreased by 0.6% [3] - Among 18 sectors, 12 experienced gains, with notable increases in banking (+3.2%), automotive (+2.9%), and energy (+2.8%) sectors [3] Price Trends - Small-cap value stocks (Russell 2000 Value) rose by 4.1%, outperforming small-cap growth (Russell 2000 Growth +2.6%) and large-cap value (Russell 1000 Value +1.7%) [3] - The report highlights that 18 sectors saw price increases, while 6 sectors faced declines, with the largest declines in food and staples retailing (-2.0%) and software and services (-1.9%) [3] Fund Flows - The estimated fund flow for S&P 500 constituents was +1.7 billion USD this week, a significant decrease from +75.8 billion USD the previous week [4] - Notable inflows were observed in automotive (+11.0 million USD), diversified financials (+4.6 million USD), and banking (+3.8 million USD) sectors [4] - Conversely, significant outflows were recorded in software and services (-29.9 million USD) and semiconductor products and equipment (-7.7 million USD) [4] Earnings Forecast - The report indicates a 0.3% upward revision in the 12-month forward EPS expectations for S&P 500 constituents, following a 0.2% increase the previous week [5] - 21 sectors saw upward revisions in earnings expectations, with the semiconductor sector leading with a +1.2% increase [5]