New York, Feb 23, 2026, 18:35 EST — After-hours
- Verizon picked up roughly 0.9% in late trading.
- The company said it wrapped up sales of junior subordinated notes denominated in euros and sterling, both maturing in 2056.
- Next up for investors: CFO Tony Skiadas takes the stage at Barclays’ conference Tuesday morning.
Verizon Communications Inc rose roughly 0.9% to $49.68 late Monday, having swung from a session low of $49.10 to a high of $50.47.
Timing’s crucial here: Verizon remains a heavyweight borrower in a market that reacts sharply to rates. Investors have snapped up signs of more predictable funding and less drama around leverage.
Hybrid-style deals blur the lines when it comes to shareholder returns. They’re neither standard equity nor straightforward senior debt—and those extra conditions can’t be ignored.
Verizon has wrapped up the sale of €2.25 billion in 4.2462% fixed-to-fixed rate junior subordinated notes due 2056, along with £600 million of similar notes at 5.7427% coupon, also due 2056, according to a fresh regulatory filing. Buyers on the deal included Barclays, Merrill Lynch International, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, plus a handful of others. 1
Verizon, in its euro notes prospectus, said it plans to put the net proceeds—and those from the sterling issue—toward “general corporate purposes,” possibly including debt repayment. Elsewhere in the same filing, Verizon notes it can put off interest payments for as long as 10 straight years at a time, with restrictions on dividends and similar payouts if it does so. 2
For investors, the details matter: rating agencies may grant “equity credit” to hybrids if they include features such as subordination and coupon deferral, which let companies hold onto cash during periods of stress. The result? The balance sheet can appear less burdened than it would if the company had opted for straight senior debt. 3
Telecom names managed to stay in positive territory Monday, shrugging off the softer tone elsewhere. T-Mobile booked a 2.1% gain, while AT&T added 1.9% in regular trading, according to MarketWatch data. 4
Verizon is pledging to hand cash back to shareholders, even as it works to bring down its debt load. In a filing from January, the company laid out a plan to return roughly $55 billion to investors by the end of 2028 through dividends and buybacks. Verizon’s board signed off on up to $25 billion of share repurchases, targeting at least $3 billion in buybacks in 2026. 5
But hybrids aren’t a giveaway. Should funding conditions get tougher, telecom credit spreads widen in a hurry—and Verizon still faces pressure to hold onto subscribers as competitors push out aggressive deals. One slip-up in wireless performance, and sentiment turns on a dime.
Tuesday marks the next event on the calendar. Verizon’s CFO Tony Skiadas will take the stage at 8:00 a.m. ET at the Barclays Communications and Content Symposium on Feb. 24, according to the company. Investors are watching for fresh commentary on capital returns, debt reduction, and the state of wireless competition. 6
