New York, Feb 5, 2026, 20:57 (ET) — Market closed
- Verizon shares hovered around $47 as U.S. trading wrapped up Thursday
- An SEC 8-K revealed that consumer chief Sowmyanarayan Sampath is stepping down, though he will stay on as an advisor until late March
- Next on deck: whether Verizon’s turnaround gains traction, alongside U.S. jobs and inflation figures due next week
Shares of Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) hovered around $47 on Thursday, showing little movement after the company announced that consumer chief Sowmyanarayan Sampath has stepped down. The stock last traded up 0.1% at $47.10, fluctuating between $46.46 and $47.56 earlier in the session. According to an 8-K filing — used to report significant events to U.S. regulators — Sampath exited the role on Feb. 4 but will continue advising Verizon until March 27. (QuoteMedia)
Verizon’s largest business is its consumer segment, making any senior departures there a close signal of how execution is holding up. The timing is tricky, as the company juggles preventing customer losses while overhauling its sales, service, and repair operations.
CEO Dan Schulman described the moves as part of a wider reset. “We are at a critical inflection point, improving our customer experience and bringing greater intensity to how we execute,” he said. Verizon plans to slash 13,000 jobs and convert 179 company-owned stores into franchises. The changes come after last month’s 10-hour service outage triggered an FCC probe and forced Verizon to offer $20 credits. (Reuters)
Villanueva, brought on board in November to lead Verizon’s transformation office, is set to push the “convergence” strategy—combining mobile service and home broadband into a single offering—while also tackling customer-experience improvements. In a memo to staff, Schulman noted that Sampath “agreed that now is the right time to step down.” (Light Reading)
The leadership shake-up isn’t without cost. David Barden, an analyst at New Street Research, labeled the increased uncertainty at the helm as “not a positive for the sector,” noting that Verizon still faces significant challenges to meet its 2026 targets. (Broadband Breakfast)
Verizon is battling for wireless subscribers in a market where promotions often sway growth from one quarter to the next. Its main competitors remain AT&T and T-Mobile US. Traders are keen to see if this shift remains limited to the consumer segment or hints at a broader shake-up in sales, pricing, and service operations.
The risk is clear: handovers drag out decisions, and ramping up marketing or discounts can squeeze cash flow. For a stock known for high dividends, any drop in service quality or execution usually hits sentiment quickly.
Investors are watching U.S. interest rates closely, knowing these can impact telecom stocks with hefty dividends. Ahead next week: the January jobs report on Feb. 11 and the CPI inflation data for January on Feb. 13, both set for 8:30 a.m. ET, per the Labor Department’s schedule. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
