Summary
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) reported its financial results for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2014. The company saw an increase in operating revenues, primarily driven by its Wireless segment, which benefited from growth in service and equipment revenues. The Wireless segment's expansion was fueled by increasing demand for 4G LTE smartphones and tablets, and the adoption of the Verizon Edge installment plan. While the Wireline segment experienced a slight revenue decline, this was offset by growth in Mass Markets, largely due to the expansion of FiOS services. A significant event for the period was the completion of the acquisition of Vodafone's 45% stake in Verizon Wireless in February 2014, leading to full ownership. This transaction impacted the balance sheet, significantly increasing debt levels, but also consolidated the cash flows from the entire wireless operations. The company continued its strategic focus on high-margin growth areas like wireless data and strategic wireline services, supported by substantial capital investments in network infrastructure.
Financial Highlights
50 data points| Revenue | $31.59B |
| Cost of Revenue | $12.25B |
| Gross Profit | $19.33B |
| SG&A Expenses | $8.28B |
| Operating Expenses | $24.70B |
| Operating Income | $6.89B |
| Interest Expense | $1.25B |
| Net Income | $3.69B |
| EPS (Basic) | $0.89 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $0.89 |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 4.15B |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 4.16B |
Key Highlights
- 1Operating revenues increased by 4.3% year-over-year for the third quarter to $31.6 billion and by 4.9% for the first nine months to $93.9 billion.
- 2Wireless segment revenue grew 7.0% in the quarter and 7.2% year-to-date, driven by strong service and equipment sales, and increased retail postpaid connections.
- 3The acquisition of Vodafone's 45% interest in Verizon Wireless was completed in February 2014, resulting in Verizon's full ownership and a significant increase in long-term debt.
- 4Wireline segment revenues saw a slight decrease of 0.8% in the quarter but were supported by growth in Mass Markets, primarily due to FiOS expansion.
- 5Net income attributable to Verizon was $3.7 billion for the third quarter, a decrease from $5.6 billion in the prior year, largely impacted by the accounting for the wireless transaction and higher interest expenses.
- 6Capital expenditures were $12.6 billion for the first nine months, up from $11.8 billion in the prior year, reflecting ongoing investments in network capacity and expansion.
- 7The company continued its commitment to shareholders by increasing its quarterly dividend to $0.55 per share.