The 2021 deal made Verizon (VZ) the official 5G network of the football league and deployed the company’s 5G capabilities to enhance broadcasts. But as the telecom company looks at options to lower costs, the contract was reportedly being reconsidered.

“We’re looking at every expense and investment across the business, sponsorships included,” a Verizon spokesperson said to the publication, a sentiment echoed by CEO Daniel Schulman during the company’s most recent earnings call.

“We have $5B of cost transformation in our plans for 2026….we’re carefully examining all areas of our cost structure to run leaner and be more agile,” Schulman said, noting that cuts could come from decommissioning legacy elements in the network and reductions in the company’s workforce, all of which will allow Verizon (VZ) to invest in the customer and return a “significant” amount of capital to shareholders.

But while the company could save on operational costs—Verizon reportedly spends more than $250M each year on sponsorship deals—the penalty for ending its NFL contract and the legal hurdles to overcome made ending the contract prohibitively expensive.

Verizon (VZ) shares are grinding higher on Tuesday, setting an all-time high of $51.09.

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In a Friday night filing that was seen by Reuters, T-Mobile said ​Verizon’s promise of a “better deal” if consumers brought in ​their T-Mobile or AT&T Mobility (T) bills and changed carriers is ⁠a ruse because Verizon cannot offer comparable service plans at ​lower prices.

“The Better Deal Campaign is a classic ‘bait and switch’ by which Verizon ​lures many consumers through the door with a false promise of ​savings and then tries to upsell them on more expensive products and services,” T-Mobile ‌reportedly said.

In February, Verizon sued T-Mobile for false advertising and for causing irreparable harm with misleading claims of yearly savings of over $1,000 if customers switch carriers.

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The stock had gained about 19.28% between January 28 and February 04, compared to a 1.37% slide of the S&P 500 during the same period.

Verizon shares have advanced amid earnings-related updates and capital return announcements. Shares surged around 12% on January 30 after the company posted its quarterly results that beat analyst expectations.

The telecom major reported stronger-than-expected subscriber additions in the fourth quarter, outlined up to $5 billion in operating expense savings, and provided 2026 guidance tied to its Frontier integration. The company also raised its dividend and authorized up to $25 billion in share buybacks, alongside disclosures pointing to improving wireless equipment revenues and higher broadband net additions.

According to Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating system, VZ is rated Hold, with a score of 3.48 out of 5, with grades of A+ in profitability but offset by a D- in growth.

Turning to the Wall Street, 10 out of 25 analysts rate Verizon at Buy or higher, while 15 recommend Hold.

Earlier this week, an analyst said Verizon’s 2026 outlook shows “flat wireless service revenue and 4–5% EPS growth, relying on $5B in cost cuts,” and adding that the company’s capital return plans are “funded by reduced capex and increased leverage, not organic growth,” warning that “cost-cutting and financial engineering mask a shrinking legacy business.”

Shares are up around 18% in the past one month and have gained approximately 14.85% year-to-date.

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T-Mobile exaggerated the alleged savings, sometimes by more than 100%, by comparing its promotional rates with Verizon’s standard rates and inflating the value of streaming, satellite connectivity, and other benefits that “the other guys leave out,” according to the complaint, which was seen by the news outlet.

Verizon said T-Mobile doubled down on savings claims that were “substantially identical” to claims found unsubstantiated and misleading by the National Advertising Review Board in 2025 and 2026, the report said. The NARB is a five-member panel that reviews advertising cases in the U.S. to ensure genuineness and authenticity.

The alleged deception includes not offering apples-to-apples comparisons of subscriber costs by understating the savings that New York-based Verizon offers when it bundles various services, such as Netflix with HBO Max or Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+, the report said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified triple damages for alleged intentional false advertising, damages for violating New York laws against anticompetitive practices, and a halt to the challenged ads.

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Sampath was expected to replace Hans Vestberg as CEO after his abrupt exit, but the company picked longtime board member Dan Schulman instead. Schulman was instrumental in the decision to part ways with Vestberg, two people familiar with the matter told FT.

Schulman was then given a 27-month contract with an option to extend, according to one of the people who spoke to FT, who added that this was a factor in Sampath’s potential departure.

One of the people told FT that Sampath had received several offers of new employment but had yet to formalize an exit plan. His exit was also not guaranteed, the person added.

Sampath’s exit would rattle the telecom, which has been struggling to maintain market share against rivals AT&T (T) and T-Mobile (TMUS). The company is still recovering reputationally from the massive January outage, for which it offered a $20 credit to its customers.

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Management View

• CEO Daniel Schulman highlighted the company’s transformation efforts, stating, “Our transformation will be driven by bold and meaningful actions to affect what is essentially a turnaround story.” Schulman emphasized the organizational overhaul, including rightsizing, headcount reductions, and eliminating redundancies: “We are building an in-year war chest of $5 billion in OpEx savings, with a substantial portion realized by headcount reductions, alongside marketing efficiencies, real estate rationalization, contract renegotiations and more.”
• Schulman announced the closing of the Frontier acquisition, taking Verizon to over 30 million fiber passings and noting plans to add at least 2 million fiber passings this year, with a medium-term goal of reaching 40 million to 50 million. He stated, “We now expect to realize over $1 billion of run rate operating cost synergies by 2028, double our initial estimate.”
• Schulman reported a renewed MVNO partnership with Comcast and Charter, describing it as “an accretive deal that ensures their customers remain on the best network.”
• Verizon is preparing to launch a new value proposition in the first half of 2026 and aims to become “an AI-first company, deploying AI at scale.”
• CFO Anthony Skiadas said, “We finished 2025 with strong operational momentum while also achieving our full year financial guidance… In the fourth quarter, we added over 1 million net adds across mobility and broadband, our highest reported quarterly volumes in 6 years.”

Outlook

• Management guided for approximately 750,000 to 1 million postpaid phone net adds in 2026, which is 2 to 3 times the 2025 total. Schulman called the target “very doable… in year 1 of our transition.”
• 2026 mobility and broadband service revenue is expected to grow 2% to 3%, equating to approximately $93 billion. Wireless service revenue is expected to be approximately flat in 2026.
• Adjusted EPS is projected in the range of $4.90 to $4.95 for the full year, representing 4% to 5% year-over-year growth. Free cash flow is expected to reach $21.5 billion or more, growing about 7% or more.
• CapEx guidance for 2026 is $16 billion to $16.5 billion, a $4 billion reduction from combined 2025 expenditures of Verizon and Frontier.
• The company plans at least $3 billion in share repurchases as part of a $25 billion authorization over three years.

Financial Results

• In Q4, Verizon reported 616,000 postpaid phone net adds and 372,000 broadband net adds, with fixed wireless access contributing 319,000 and Fios Internet 67,000.
• Consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $11.9 billion for the quarter; full year adjusted EBITDA reached $50 billion, up $1.2 billion or 2.5% year-over-year.
• Adjusted EPS for Q4 was $1.09, and full year adjusted EPS was $4.71, a 2.6% increase from the prior year.
• Cash flow from operating activities was $37.1 billion for 2025, CapEx totaled $17 billion, and free cash flow reached $20.1 billion.
• Net unsecured debt ended at $110.1 billion, a $3.6 billion year-over-year improvement; net unsecured debt to consolidated adjusted EBITDA was at 2.2x.
• Verizon paid down approximately $5.7 billion of Frontier’s debt since closing the acquisition and made $1.3 billion in discretionary pension contributions.

Q&A

• Michael Ng, Goldman Sachs: Asked about investments to drive subscriber growth and whether improvements would come from churn reduction or marketing. Schulman responded, “If we reduce churn by 5 bps, we are already halfway to our target… we’re going to leverage strongly all the convergence opportunities we have.”
• Ng, Goldman Sachs: Inquired about the increased fiber passings target. Schulman explained, “We want to get to at least 40 million or 50 million fiber passings… combination of what we’re seeing at Frontier and what we can do internally here at Verizon.”
• Benjamin Swinburne, Morgan Stanley: Questioned customer lifetime values and CapEx reductions. Schulman stated the quality of new adds was high and emphasized churn reduction. Skiadas detailed that CapEx focus is now on mobility and broadband, with noncore areas being reduced or eliminated.
• John Hodulik, UBS: Asked about composition of service revenue and broadband volume expectations. Skiadas said, “We guided to 2% to 3% mobility and broadband service revenue growth… we have now combined 16 million, over 16 million broadband subs in the base.”
• Michael Rollins, Citigroup: Queried on opportunities for ARPU growth and post-2026 cost savings. Schulman outlined “three waves of efficiency”—organizational, complexity reduction, and automation—and noted, “I think some of the broadband stuff that we’re doing, where you’re putting gig plus out there, that’s real value to customers.”

Sentiment Analysis

• Analysts pressed for specifics on growth drivers, churn, value proposition, and capital allocation, reflecting a neutral to slightly positive tone as they sought clarity on the execution of transformation and new targets.
• Management maintained a confident and assertive tone, frequently emphasizing efficiency, execution, and the achievability of their targets. Schulman repeatedly underscored commitment: “We are heads down focused and ready to show the world that a fiscally responsible Verizon is playing to win.”
• Compared to the previous quarter, there is a shift from planning and strategic intention to detailed execution, with management projecting greater confidence and urgency. Analysts’ tone has shifted from cautious inquiry to more targeted questioning about operational specifics.

Quarter-over-Quarter Comparison

• Previous quarter focused on strategic resets and foundational changes, whereas this quarter emphasized execution, cost reductions, and aggressive targets.
• Guidance language shifted from broad ambitions to concrete metrics and specific volume and profitability targets for 2026.
• Analysts in both quarters focused on churn, subscriber growth, and capital allocation, but this quarter included more questions about the impact and achievability of stated cost and revenue goals.
• Management’s tone evolved from outlining vision to communicating progress and measurable outcomes, displaying increased confidence in turnaround efforts and in confronting past underperformance.
• Key metrics such as postpaid phone net adds and broadband net adds showed marked improvement, with explicit targets for further acceleration provided this quarter.

Risks and Concerns

• Schulman acknowledged the recent network outage and its negative impact on the brand, stating, “We did not meet the standard of excellence our customers expect and that we expect of ourselves.”
• Churn remains a pivotal risk, with elevated postpaid phone churn cited as a major challenge due to past pricing actions and competition.
• Management identified ongoing promo amortization and lapping of prior year price increases as headwinds for 2026 revenue growth.
• Execution risk around integrating Frontier and realizing projected synergies was mentioned, but management indicated confidence in the ongoing process and in achieving cost targets.
• Analysts also questioned the sustainability of lifetime value and the ability to balance growth with efficiency without resorting to heavy promotional activity.

Final Takeaway

Verizon management underscored a transition from strategic planning to execution, highlighting robust Q4 results, a major cost reduction initiative, and ambitious 2026 targets for net adds, EPS, and free cash flow. With the integration of Frontier, renewed partnerships, and a sharpened focus on efficiency and customer experience, the company articulated a turnaround plan that it believes will drive both growth and shareholder returns, while closely managing operational and competitive risks.

Read the full Earnings Call Transcript

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Shares were +5.25% pre-market to $41.90.

Shares of common stock may be repurchased in privately negotiated transactions, on the open market, or otherwise.

The company expects to buy back at least $3B of shares in 2026.

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Shares of the company were up nearly 4% in premarket NYSE trading on Friday but pared early gains and are currently up 2.4%.

For 2026, Verizon expects adjusted earnings per share of $4.90 to $4.95, or growth of 4% to 5%.

According to calculations done by Seeking Alpha, if adjusted EPS grows 4%, it would beat estimates by 13 cents, and at 5% growth, it would beat them by 18 cents. The consensus estimate for 2026 adjusted EPS is $4.77. The company earned $4.71 apiece in 2025.

Wireless service revenue growth will be about flat in 2026, the company said, as it transitions to sustainable volume-based growth; cash flow from operations is expected to be $37.5B to $38B (est. $38.75B), and free cash flow of at least $21.5B (est. $20.79B).

It also provided an FY capital spending budget forecast of $16B to $16.5B, which is comparable to the estimate of $18.08B.

Verizon saw total postpaid phone net additions of 616,000 for Q4, up 22% and far ahead of the consensus estimate of 420,491 additions polled by Bloomberg.

In the Consumer unit, wireless retail postpaid phone churn was 0.95%, and retail postpaid churn was 1.21%. Postpaid ARPA was $147.36, up 1.2%. The consumer business also saw 109,000 wireless retail core prepaid net additions vs. 47,000 net additions in Q3.

Verizon Business saw 11,000 wireless retail postpaid net additions vs. 110,000 additions in Q3.

For the three months ended December 31, the New York-based company earned a net income of $2.45B, or $0.55 per share, compared with $5.11B, or $1.18 per share, a year earlier.

On an adjusted per-share basis, it earned $1.09, beating the average analyst estimate of $1.06 per share.

Service and other revenue in Q4 was $28.18B; wireless equipment revenue was $8.2B. Both metrics were above the consensus estimates.

Total revenue was up 2% at $36.4B and was ahead of expectations by $200M.

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Seeking Alpha analysts James Foord, Ragmar Rikberg, Anna Sokolidou, and Rick Orford gave us their picks.

James Foord: The way I see it, gold is without a doubt the best long-term safe haven. It’s arguably the purest form of money, and central banks around the world continue to accumulate it. Silver has had a great run, as it has faced shortages due to high demand for it in solar panels, but at today’s price, I’d rather wait for a dip.

On the other hand, Bitcoin (BTC-USD) has been forgotten by the market, but under the surface, the mechanisms are now in place for funds and larger players to really start to accumulate this asset. I think it will perform well over the coming years.

Ragmar Rikberg: If I had to choose from the stocks I cover, the safest candidates in my view would be Verizon (VZ), Conagra Brands (CAG), Tyson Foods (TSN), and Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM).

Communication remains essential in any environment—people will always use phones and the internet. Food stocks that are attractively valued also make a lot of sense, since people need to eat under all circumstances, and during recessions they tend to cook more at home.

That said, companies with a high exposure to sugar‑rich and ultra‑processed foods are better to avoid, as GLP‑1 drugs continue to reshape consumer eating habits.

Anna Sokolidou: The era of the USD’s dominance as a safe haven investment and as a medium of exchange seems to be over. Major central bankers are actively moving away from fiat currencies and still stockpiling gold despite the yellow metal’s rally. I still prefer gold as the best way to save capital.

Rick Orford: As the world continues to experience a level of uncertainty not seen in years, investors must remember that, over time, the major indices tend to go up. So the best safe haven is time.

Well-diversified portfolios containing quality assets, such as low-cost index ETFs, dividend stocks, treasuries, or even precious metals, are solid additions and have historically performed well. Investors who hold these quality assets long enough won’t mind this uncertainty, especially when it can be used as part of a “buy the dip” strategy.

• Top High Dividend Yield Stocks
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• Top Gold Stocks
• Top Diversified Metals and Mining Stocks
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• Top Packaged Foods & Meats Stocks

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