The Quarter in Brief
Verizon reported its third quarter of 2026, the three months to September 30, before the market opened on October 26. Revenue was $34.31 billion, up 1.5% from a year earlier. Reported earnings per share were $1.25, up from $1.17. Adjusted earnings per share, the company's measure that leaves out special items such as the amortization of intangible assets from acquisitions and acquisition costs, were $1.31, up 8.3% from $1.21.
Analysts had expected about $1.27 of adjusted earnings per share and about $34.77 billion of revenue, according to MarketBeat's consensus, so earnings came in ahead and revenue short. What set the quarter apart was customer growth: Verizon added a net 406,000 postpaid phone customers (people on monthly bills, less those who left), against 44,000 a year earlier and its best third quarter in five years. It did so while spending less on phone discounts, and its revenue from selling phones fell 9.0% as fewer customers upgraded.