Verizon Q1 2026 Beats Estimates, Raises Guidance

Verizon Communications reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter 2026 results on Monday, marking its first positive postpaid phone net additions in the January-March period since 2013 and prompting the company to raise its full-year guidance.

The company added 55,000 postpaid phone subscribers, a turnaround of more than 340,000 from a net loss in the year-earlier quarter. In the consumer segment, net losses narrowed to 35,000, reflecting a 321,000 improvement year over year due to higher gross additions from customers new to Verizon. Executives attributed the gains to improved churn rates, lower acquisition costs and a shift away from heavy promotional spending. Consumer postpaid phone churn fell to 0.90 percent, down five basis points sequentially and dropping below 0.85 percent by March.

Prepaid net additions reached 115,000, the seventh straight quarter of growth, while broadband connections grew by 341,000 to 16.8 million total. That included 214,000 fixed wireless access additions and 127,000 fiber connections, aided by the January 20 acquisition of Frontier Communications, whose results were included from that date.

Total operating revenue rose 2.9 percent to $34.4...