Bull of the Day

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Top.Gainers highlighting the top gainers of the day, providing timely updates and insights on the market's highest achievers.
 

•  30 Jan 2026
 

•   VZ  
   
  0.00%

$VZ is my Bull of the Day after a decisive surge on volume of 121 million shares roughly 460% of its 30-day average. This wasn’t a low-liquidity squeeze; it was institutional-grade accumulation following a clean earnings beat and stronger-than-expected 2026 guidance.

Fourth-quarter revenue rose 2.0% year over year to $36.40 billion, topping estimates of $36.06 billion. Adjusted EPS came in at $1.09 versus the $1.05 consensus. More importantly, the quality of growth stood out. Verizon added 616,000 postpaid phone net subscribers its best quarterly performance since 2019 alongside 372,000 broadband net additions and 319,000 fixed wireless additions, bringing that base to over 5.7 million. Consumer wireless retail postpaid churn remained controlled at 1.21%, signaling stable customer retention in a competitive pricing environment.

Wireless service revenue grew 1.1% to $21.0 billion, while total consumer revenue increased 3.2% year over year to $28.44 billion. That top-line stability, paired with cost discipline and job cuts under a new CEO, improves operating leverage heading into 2026. The company also authorized up to $25 billion in share buybacks, reinforcing capital return visibility.

From a balance sheet and credit perspective, Verizon remains investment-grade, supported by durable recurring cash flows and essential-service demand characteristics. Telecom is capital intensive, but predictable subscription revenue and modest churn help underpin debt servicing capacity a critical factor in a higher-rate environment.

Strategically, Verizon expansion in fixed wireless access and fiber densification positions it well against cable competitors. The Frontier acquisition boosts broadband scale to over 16.3 million connections, strengthening bundled offerings and lifetime customer value. The broader implication is clear: consumers continue prioritizing connectivity and broadband resilience, even amid macro uncertainty.

Technically, the stock broke above its 200-day moving average near $42, confirming a trend shift after a prolonged base. When improving fundamentals align with a major moving average breakout and 4.6x average volume, that’s a signal institutions are repricing the asset.

Is it sustainable? The key will be continued subscriber momentum and margin expansion in 2026. If postpaid growth remains above 500,000 per quarter and fixed wireless keeps scaling, free cash flow visibility improves materially. For income-oriented investors and traders seeking defensive growth with improving momentum, VZ may be transitioning from laggard to leadership.

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