Last week, Verizon reported wireless service revenue growth, but lower wireless equipment revenue and wireline service revenue.
Consolidated Q2 operating revenues amounted to $32.1 billion, down 0.4 percent from second-quarter 2018. EPS was 95 cents, compared with $1.00 in second-quarter 2018. On an adjusted basis (non-GAAP), second-quarter 2019 EPS, excluding a special item, was $1.23, compared with adjusted EPS of $1.20 in second-quarter 2018. Verizon’s second-quarter 2019 EPS included 28 cents in early debt redemption costs.
First half 2019 capital expenditures totaled $8.0 billion — a figure that reflects the launch and build-out of its 5G network, the growth in data and video traffic on the company’s 4G LTE network, the deployment of significant fiber in markets nationwide and the upgrade to Verizon’s Intelligent Edge Network architecture.
Some highlights
- Verizon Consumer revenues were $22.0 billion, flat year over year, reflecting continued strong growth in wireless service revenue and Fios service offerings, offset by declines in wireless equipment and legacy wireline services.
- Verizon Consumer Group reported 126,000 wireless retail postpaid net additions in second-quarter 2019, consisting of 73,000 phone net additions and tablet net losses of 134,000, offset by 187,000 other connected device net additions, primarily wearables.
- Postpaid smartphone net additions were 209,000, up 17 percent year over year, driven by a 5 percent year over year increase in phone gross additions.
- Consumer wireless service revenues increased 2.5 percent in second-quarter 2019, driven by customer step-ups to higher-priced plans and an increase in connections per account.
- Total retail postpaid churn was 0.97 percent in second-quarter 2019, and retail postpaid phone churn was 0.72 percent.
- In second-quarter 2019, Verizon Consumer Group reported 28,000 Fios Internet net additions and 52,000 Fios Video net losses, reflecting the ongoing shift from traditional linear video to over-the-top offerings. Fios revenues increased by 1.2 percent, primarily due to the demand for broadband offerings.
- Segment operating income was $7.3 billion, an increase of 3.9 percent year over year, and segment operating income margin was 33.4 percent. Segment EBITDA (non-GAAP) totaled $10.2 billion in second-quarter 2019, an increase of 1.6 percent year over year. Segment EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) was 46.5 percent, including approximately 100 basis points in headwinds from the deferral of commission expense and the lease accounting standard.
- Total Verizon Business revenues were $7.8 billion, down 1.1 percent year over year, as growth in wireless services and high quality fiber products was offset by declines in legacy products.
- Verizon Business Group reported 325,000 wireless retail postpaid net additions in second-quarter 2019, consisting of 172,000 phone net additions, 90,000 tablet net additions and 63,000 other connected device additions.
- Total retail postpaid churn was 1.21 percent in second-quarter 2019, and retail postpaid phone churn was 0.97 percent.
- Segment operating income was $1.1 billion, a decrease of 2.7 percent year over year, and segment operating income margin was 13.8 percent. Segment EBITDA (non-GAAP) totaled $2.1 billion in second-quarter 2019, a decrease of 2.0 percent year over year. Segment EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) was 27.3 percent, down 20 basis points year over year due to declines in legacy wireline product revenues.
