Verizon is set to unveil its financial performance for the October-December quarter on Friday, January 30, alongside its full-year results for 2025. This announcement will provide insight into how the telecom giant fared amid competitive pressures, including losing its long-held position as the largest U.S. wireless carrier to T-Mobile.
Analysts’ Expectations and Verizon’s Earnings Trends
Wall Street expects Verizon to report a Q4 profit of $1.06 per share, representing a slight 3.6% decrease from $1.10 per share in the same quarter last year. However, Verizon has a solid track record of beating analysts’ forecasts, having surpassed earnings per share estimates in each of the last four quarters. For instance, the company outperformed expectations by 1.7% in Q3 2025 with $1.21 earnings per share.
Looking at the full year, analysts forecast a 2% increase in earnings per share for 2025, predicting $4.68 compared to $4.59 in 2024. Moreover, projections for 2026 suggest a modest rise to $4.82 per share, indicating steady but cautious optimism for Verizon’s profitability moving forward.
Postpaid Phone Net Adds: The Key Indicator
Beyond bottom-line profits, the most closely watched metric in Verizon’s quarterly report will be the postpaid phone net additions. This number reflects the carrier's ability to grow its base of higher-value, stable customers. Analysts expect a seasonal increase between 50,000 and 150,000 net new postpaid phone lines in Q4 2025, compared to 568,000 added in Q4 2024. For the entire year of 2025, additions are expected to be flat or potentially negative, a notable slowdown from the approximately 900,000 net new lines added in 2024.
The Stock, Dividend, and Market Performance
Verizon’s stock has been relatively stable, fluctuating between a 52-week high of $47.35 and a low of $37.59. After the holidays, shares resumed trading at $40.32. With an annual dividend of $2.76, the stock yields 6.85%, providing investors with a solid return while they await potential share appreciation. This dividend also acts as a cushion against stock price volatility.
Leadership Changes and Customer Focus
With Dan Schulman’s recent appointment as Verizon’s CEO, there are promises of a renewed focus on becoming more consumer friendly. However, skepticism runs high: following layoffs of 13,000 employees, many customers and industry observers question whether the company’s culture and approach to customer service will truly change under Schulman’s leadership.
A recent PhoneArena poll found that 69% of over 1,700 respondents doubt Schulman can shift Verizon’s culture to prioritize customers, citing a deeply ingrained business mentality contrary to customer-first values. Only 31% believe the new CEO can successfully make Verizon more customer-centric.
Possible Strategies to Differentiate Verizon
To set itself apart from competitors T-Mobile and AT&T, Verizon could adopt a strict zero-tolerance policy against unethical sales practices like “cramming,” where reps add unauthorized products and services to customers’ bills. Removing aggressive sales targets could also reduce incentives for such behavior and help rebuild trust.
Meanwhile, many customers hope the first step in this direction would be a price cut or reassurance that Verizon will maintain its physical retail stores and support staff, rather than shifting fully to a digital-only experience like T-Mobile appears to be doing. Verizon subscribers interested in digital account management already have the option to enroll in the company’s Visible MVNO.
Market Dynamics and the Road Ahead
T-Mobile’s recent struggles—including a buggy app experience and a push toward digital service—leave it more vulnerable than it has been in years. A rejuvenated, consumer-friendly Verizon might capitalize on this weakness to regain momentum. However, the forthcoming Q4 and full-year 2025 results are unlikely to give a definitive answer on whether CEO Schulman can pull off this transformation.
Investors and customers alike will have to wait until the release of 2026’s figures to see if Verizon can turn the tide amid fierce competition and shifting market dynamics.
