Verizon Communications’ (VZ) shares edged higher on Wednesday morning, despite the telecom giant’s third-quarter 2025 earnings results showing uneven performance.
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On the positive side, the New York-based company reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.21, up about 2% from $1.19 in the same period last year — Wall Street had expected EPS to remain flat. However, its total revenues of $33.8 billion fell short of analysts’ expectations of $34.26 billion, despite rising 1.5% year-over-year.
Verizon Loses Individual Wireless Subscribers
During the quarter, Verizon signed up 306,000 new customers to its broadband internet service, even as it added 110,000 new monthly business subscribers to its standard wireless plans. However, the telco lost 7,000 individual subscribers to its monthly postpaid wireless service compared with the same period last year, when it added 18,000.
On the contrary, rival T-Mobile (TMUS) added one million new customers in that same lucrative category during the same quarter, calling it “best in industry” and its highest Q3 additions in over a decade. AT&T (T) only added about 1% more customers in this segment, pointing to intensifying competition in this sub-market.
Verizon Confident in Business Pivot
Speaking on the company’s latest performance, Dan Schulman, PayPal’s (PYPL) former chief exec who joined the telco as CEO earlier this month, noted that the company was “clearly falling short” of its potential. Schulman said that Verizon has not been able to convert its substantial investment in becoming a premier network solutions provider into “winning the market”.
As a result, the CEO added, the company is “not generating the financial profile necessary for share price appreciation”. Yet, Schulman remains “fully confident” in Verizon’s ability to pivot.
Is Verizon a Buy, Hold, or Sell?
On Wall Street, the mood on Verizon remains cautious, with VZ stock currently holding a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on five Buys and nine Holds issued by 14 analysts over the past three months.
However, at $47.79, the average VZ price target suggests more than 18% upside potential from the current trading level.
