| From: Ms. Baby Boomer | 1/29/2019 9:59:32 AM | | | | | | Verizon sees no increase in 2019 profit,
misses fourth-quarter revenue estimate.
(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) on Tuesday missed quarterly revenue estimates, but added almost twice as many new wireless subscribers as analysts expected.
The company forecast that adjusted earnings per share for this year would be similar to 2018, and that it expected low-single-digit percentage growth for total revenue for the full year.
Shares of Verizon, the largest U.S. wireless carrier by subscribers, were down 3 percent to $53.40 before the bell.
Craig Moffett, an analyst with MoffettNathanson, said Verizon's outlook for profit to be unchanged may cause investors to wonder whether its best days are behind it.
"They're guiding flat EPS year-over-year, at a time when GDP is growing strongly and competitive intensity is so benign. It's not very inspiring," he said.
Total operating revenue rose 1 percent to $34.28 billion in the fourth quarter, missing the average analyst estimate of $34.44 billion, according to Refinitiv data.
The company forecast an increase in 2019 capital spending in the range of $17 billion to $18 billion, including expanding commercial launch of its 5G wireless technology, from $16.7 billion last year.
Verizon launched 5G home internet in four cities last October, and claimed to be the first to offer a commercial 5G product in the United States amid heated competition between major carriers. 5G offers faster wireless data speed.
The company said in December it was working with Samsung Electronics (KS: 005930) Co Ltd to launch 5G-enabled smartphones in the first half of 2019.
Verizon, which has 118 million wireless customers, said it added a net 653,000 so-called "postpaid" phone subscribers during the fourth quarter, beating the average estimate of 355,600, according to research firm FactSet.
Analysts pay attention to "postpaid" customers, or those with a recurring bill, because they are more valuable to carriers and remain with the company longer than prepaid customers.
The company lost 46,000 Fios video subscribers during the quarter, more than the 29,000 it lost last year, as viewers leave for cheaper internet television rather than pay for pricier cable packages. Analysts looked for 51,000 losses.
Net income attributable to the company fell to $1.94 billion, or 47 cents per share, in the quarter, from $18.78 billion, or $4.56 per share, a year earlier, when it recorded a $16.8 billion one-time benefit from the U.S. tax overhaul.
Revenue for the Verizon Media Group, formerly called Oath and includes Yahoo (NASDAQ: AABA) and AOL, was $2.1 billion during the quarter, down 5.8 percent from the prior year.
Excluding items, Verizon earned $1.12 per share, above the average estimate of $1.09 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
investing.com
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| From: Ms. Baby Boomer | 1/29/2019 11:42:35 AM | | | | | | Verizon Plans Multiple Ad Plays
Leading to Super Bowl
Commercial...
If Verizon gets its way, its Super Bowl advertising plans will include a 60-second commercial during the game – and a half-hour documentary that gives viewers even more of what will be discussed in the ad.
The telecommunications giant is often scrutinized for the communications resources it provides its customers, but its Super Bowl campaign will highlight service of a different kind. The campaign kicks off Sunday with a 60-second TV ad that airs during the NFL’s AFC and NFC championship game, and tells stories of 12 NFL stars – one coach and 11 players – who were rescued from car accident, natural disasters, house fires and more by first responders. That group will be dubbed “The Team That Wouldn’t Be Here.”
The goal is to highlight the reliability of Verizon’s service, says Diego Scotti, Verizon’s chief marketing officer and aligning with rescue workers can play a role in driving that message home. “We want to make sure that continues to our big point of differentiation,” he said. Verizon burnished a similar theme in an ad it placed in Super Bowl LIII in 2018 – marking a return to the big event after a seven-year absence.
The company is in negotiations to air a half-hour documentary as part of the run-up to the Super Bowl, Scotti says. It is produced by Peter Berg and will premiere in Atlanta on Thursday, January 31.
The company will donate up to $1.5 million to First Responders Outreach a group that provides grants for emergency relief, training, and equipment for first responders, giving a dollar for each time someone shares a Verizon social post with a special hashtag on Facebook or Twitter or posts on Twitter with the hashtag.
“The moment the country is in right now, paying homage to others who serve or people who serve others is really an important message,” says Scotti....
variety.com
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| From: Ms. Baby Boomer | 1/29/2019 12:10:51 PM | | | | | | Verizon (VZ) Gets a Hold Rating from
Oppenheimer...
In a report released today, Timothy Horan from Oppenheimer maintained a Hold rating on Verizon ( VZ). The company’s shares opened today at $53.62.
Horan observed:
“Verizon’s 4Q18 revenue of $34.3B came in in line with estimates but on 60 bps less EBITDA margin at $11.6B vs our $11.8B. The miss stemmed from higher opex in wireline. $1.12 matched our estimate and beat the Street’s $1.09E, but guidance is for a 2% or so decline this year. Wireless previously reported good phone-only metrics, with 653 phone-only net adds vs. 350 expected on churn of 0.82% vs. 0.76% expected. ARPUs were somewhat muted in the quarter, likely due to an increase in new customers on cheaper plans, though we believe that churn and ARPUs will benefit from bucketed unlimited plans, particularly as we enter the 5G era, as well as well-bundled plans.”
According to TipRanks.com, Horan is a top 100 analyst with an average return of 14.7% and a 68.8% success rate. Horan covers the Technology sector, focusing on stocks such as Interxion Holding NV, Boingo Wireless Inc, and Zayo Group Holdings.
The word on The Street in general, suggests a Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating for Verizon with a $60.67 average price target....
smarteranalyst.com
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| To: Ms. Baby Boomer who wrote (1764) | 3/12/2019 10:45:26 AM | | From: Ms. Baby Boomer | | | | iPhone Trends Going ‘From Bad to Worse,’
Longbow Research Says...
Apple Inc. continues to struggle with iPhone demand, with trends going “from bad to worse,” according to Longbow Research.
“Without iPhone demand acceleration on the horizon, we currently do not see any catalysts near term to drive significant EPS upside,” wrote analyst Shawn Harrison. He affirmed his neutral rating on the stock and said the lack of a rebound in iPhone sales creates risk and shifts more focus to Apple’s March 25 event, where the company is expected to introduce a video programming service and premium magazine subscription plan.
Shares of Apple gained as much as 1 percent in early trading Tuesday, after rising 3.5 percent on Monday, their biggest increase since January. While the stock has rebounded 27 percent from a January low, Apple remains more than 20 percent below record levels reached in October.
Much of the stock’s weakness over the past few months has been related to weakening demand prospects for the iPhone, particularly in China, an increasingly important market. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, almost 20 percent of Apple’s fiscal 2018 revenue was derived from China, and the iPhone accounted for 62 percent of revenue.
“Multiple iPhone price cuts did not stop China iPhone search trends from weakening further while February supplier sales were abysmal, decelerating on a year over year basis vs. January,” Harrison wrote in a research note Tuesday. Of 42 Apple suppliers, he wrote, 37 of them “reported worse than seasonal sales” in February.
Harrison added that there was “weaker interest year over year” for iPhones, citing search data for both Google and China’s Baidu. In February, Baidu iPhone searches were down 47 percent from the prior year, per his data.
Analysts are split on Apple’s outlook with 22 recommending buying shares and another 22 recommending holding the stock. Just one firm has a sell rating. The average price target is $178, or slightly below where the stock closed on Monday. On Monday, BofAML upgraded the Dow Jones Industrial Average component to buy, forecasting “stability of supply chain order cuts” and a “large reversal of inventory overhang in iPhones.”
Apple’s second-quarter results will be released on or about April 30. Analysts expect the company to report adjusted earnings of $2.38 a share on revenue of $57.54 billion. These estimates indicate a drop of nearly 13 percent in profitability and sales falling 5.9 percent compared to the prior-year period....
bloomberg.com
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| From: Sr K | 3/13/2019 10:46:05 AM | | | | | | WSJ
How Much Does 5G Cost? Verizon Says $10 Extra Per Month
Carrier’s unlimited-data customers will have to pay more for fastest service, set to launch in Chicago and Minneapolis in April |
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| To: Sr K who wrote (1781) | 3/13/2019 11:35:53 AM | | From: Ms. Baby Boomer | | | | U R paying 10 Buck$ a month more for 5G, but requires a compatible cell phone...
Have no intention of paying extra per month for the module that would be attached to
ONYX Moto, until they R done upgrading the Network in Moi's Neck of the Woods...
By then, will probably buy a new phone.... :)
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