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Verizon Communications
(NYSE: VZ)
USA
With its MCI merger complete, Verizon is pushing even more aggressively into the wireless business. CEO Ivan Seidenberg hasn't been shy about letting people know he wants to buy out the 45% of Verizon Wireless that is currently held by Vodafone. It would cost him at least $40 billion to do so, but might well be worth it. Verizon Wireless, after all, has the best margins in the business. And while wireless sales in the first quarter grew 16.7%, Verizon's musty old wire-line business continues to shrink. No wonder Seidenberg is studying deals to sell off more of those land lines. Verizon is one of the largest players on our list, with $79.7 billion in revenues, and was able to boost that top line by 10%. But the question for investors continues to be, can Seidenberg move fast enough to adjust to the new world of wireless and broadband networks that are rapidly replacing traditional phone service?
Company Info |
|
| 2005 Rank | 41 |
| Sales* ($ Millions) | 79,676.0 |
| Sales Growth (over prev. year) |
10 % |
| Profits* ($ Millions) | 7,314.0 |
| Return on Equity | 16.3 % |
| Total Return on Sales (12-mo.) | -7.3 |
| Share Price As of 5/31/06 | 31.21 |
| CURRENT MARKET INFO | NYSE: VZ |
| No. of Employees | 252,000 |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| COMPANY WEB SITE > | |
*Trailing 12 months
Stock price data as of 5/31/06
DATA: Standard & Poor's Compustat
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Company Snapshot
Verizon Communications provides communication services worldwide. It has four segments: domestic telecom, domestic wireless, information services; and international. The domestic telecom segment provides voice and data transport, enhanced and custom calling features, network access, directory assistance, private lines, and public telephones in 28 states and Washington, D.C. This segment also provides long-distance services, customer premises equipment distribution, data solutions and systems integration, billing and collections, Internet access services, and inventory management services. The domestic wireless segment provides wireless voice and data services and equipment across the U.S. The information services segment is involved in directory publishing businesses, which includes print directories and SuperPages.com online search services, as well as Web site creation and other electronic commerce services. The International segment includes wireline and wireless communications operations and investments primarily in the Americas and Europe. The company was incorporated in 1983 as Bell Atlantic and changed its name as Verizon Communications in 2000. Verizon Communications is based in New York.
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