NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 14:31 ET — Market closed
- Verizon shares last closed down 0.52% at $40.52.
- California prosecutors said Verizon Wireless will pay $7.7 million to settle allegations tied to environmental compliance at cell tower sites.
- Investors are watching the next dividend cutoff and the company’s Jan. 30 earnings report.
Verizon Communications Inc shares closed down 0.52% at $40.52 in the last session on Friday, underperforming the S&P 500’s 0.19% gain as U.S. 10-year Treasury yields rose to about 4.19%. The move came as California prosecutors said Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, would pay $7.7 million to settle allegations tied to hazardous materials compliance at cell tower sites; shares were up 0.17% in after-hours trading. 1
The settlement is not financially large for Verizon, but it lands as investors start the year re-pricing high-dividend stocks and scanning for legal and regulatory costs that can chip away at cash flow.
That matters for Verizon because it is widely held for income, and sentiment can turn quickly if markets think the dividend cushion is narrowing. Attention now shifts to January catalysts that can reset expectations for 2026.
San Bernardino County’s District Attorney said the case involved alleged violations at hundreds of Verizon wireless cell tower sites in Southern California, including issues around hazardous materials reporting, training and inspection access. Prosecutors said Verizon brought sites into compliance after being approached and that investigators found no evidence of environmental harm, with $7.125 million allocated to civil penalties and the remainder to environmental projects and investigative costs. 2
In separate securities filings, Verizon director Hans Vestberg and senior executives including Chief Legal Officer Vandana Venkatesh reported small acquisitions of cash-settled “phantom stock” through deferred compensation plans and dividend reinvestment, SEC Form 4 filings showed. A Form 4 is a required disclosure that reports insider transactions. 3
VZ traded between $40.30 and $40.90 on Friday, with volume of about 30.8 million shares, price data showed. 4
A Barron’s roundup of income ideas for 2026 highlighted Verizon’s dividend appeal while flagging the competitive tone across telecom. Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne wrote that “competition remains intense,” according to the report. 5
Verizon competes primarily with AT&T and T-Mobile for wireless customers and broadband households, leaving subscriber additions and promotions at the center of the near-term debate.
Investors also watch how aggressively carriers spend on networks, because heavy capital outlays can crowd out cash available for dividends and debt reduction.
Before the next session, the dividend calendar is a near-term driver for income-focused holders. Dividend data show Verizon’s next ex-dividend date is Jan. 12 for a 69-cent quarterly payout due Feb. 2. 6
Verizon is scheduled to report fourth-quarter results on Friday, Jan. 30. Traders will focus on wireless subscriber trends, free cash flow and any update on capital spending, which can influence how safe the dividend looks in 2026. 7
Macro data that moves interest-rate expectations also sits close on the calendar: the U.S. employment report for December 2025 is due Jan. 9 and the CPI report for December 2025 is due Jan. 13, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Federal Reserve’s next policy meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27-28. 8
From a technical perspective, the $40 area is in focus after the stock tested that level in the last session, while a move back above $41 would suggest Friday’s pullback is losing momentum.
Any follow-through in Verizon shares will depend on whether yields continue to rise and on what management says later this month about subscriber momentum and pricing in a promotion-heavy market.
