Buoyed by strong commercial momentum in Q4 2025, Verizon Communications forecasts a significant rise in profits for FY 2026. The US operator added 616,000 new postpaid subscribers over the period, its best performance in six years, far above the 417,250 expected. The jump was driven by attractive special offers, including one of four lines for $100 a month, rolled out during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns.

Markets welcomed the rebound, with Verizon shares rising nearly 9% in early trading. The group also announced an ambitious share buyback program of up to $25bn over three years. For 2026, Verizon targets between 750,000 and 1 million new postpaid subscribers, banking on convergence between mobile and high-speed internet. The expansion of its fiber infrastructure, facilitated by the acquisition of Frontier, is a central lever in this growth strategy.

CEO Dan Schulman, in office since October, is also leading a sweeping reorganization plan, marked by more than 13,000 job cuts and a renewed focus on operational efficiency. Financially, the group expects EPS of between $4.90 and $4.95 in 2026, versus an average estimate of $4.76. Free cash flow is expected to exceed $21.5bn, with Q4 coming in at $36.4bn, slightly above expectations.