Verizon's rollercoaster Q2: fewer subscribers, but bigger bucks
That includes Verizon , which got on customers' nerves by pulling promised discounts, as we told you earlier. That being said, the Big Red raised the lower end of its annual profit outlook after posting stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings, fueled by solid demand for its premium plans. As a result, the company's stock climbed 4% in premarket trading.
Wireless service revenue grew 2.2% as more customers signed up for add-ons such as bundled access to streaming platforms like Netflix. Verizon has been leaning on price-lock deals and broadband-wireless bundles to keep customers from switching to rivals, with AT&T and T-Mobile ramping up competition alongside aggressive promotions from Comcast and Charter. Despite these efforts, Verizon reported an unexpected loss of 9,000 monthly bill-paying wireless subscribers during the April-to-June quarter (that's Q2 of 2025), falling short of analyst expectations for a gain of 13,000. The decline was largely attributed to churn following price increases earlier this year, and everybody could see it coming.
Image by PhoneArena
To maintain growth in a saturated US telecom market, Verizon and other major carriers have been investing heavily in fiber-optic infrastructure to meet the surging demand for data. In May, Verizon secured approval from federal regulators for its $20 billion acquisition of fiber-optic provider Frontier, following an agreement to discontinue its diversity programs. The company's growing focus on internet services paid off, with 293,000 net broadband additions during the quarter. Overall revenue reached $34.5 billion, surpassing the $33.74 billion estimate.
Looking ahead, Verizon now projects 2025 adjusted profit to rise between 1% and 3%, tightening its previous forecast of 0% to 3%. It also boosted its full-year free cash flow target to a range of $19.5 billion to $20.5 billion, up from the earlier guidance of $17.5 billion to $18.5 billion. Sometimes, the difference between 0% and 1% can mean the world.
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