Still Leading Wireless Sector, Verizon Expects Strong Growth in All Areas in 2008

(NewsVisual, powered by IntellectSpace) -- On Monday morning, Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) reported that it “continued strong quarterly financial and operational results,” where its fourth-quarter 2007 revenues were up 5.5 percent to $23.5 billion.

While the company’s fourth-quarter 2007 earnings per share declined to $0.37 from $0.48 in Q4 2006, in adjusted terms its Q4 2007 earnings were up $0.62 from $0.52 in Q4 2006, the company explained in its statement.

The company’s earnings adjustments are based on costs relating to workforce reductions, taxes relating to its Vodafone Omnitel N.V. investment, merger integration costs, and costs relating to the spinoff of its wireline access lines in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

In addition, Verizon also said that it continues to be the domestic leader in the wireless industry with 65.7 million total customers, which is an 11.3 percent increase over last year.

"In the fourth quarter, the momentum of revenue growth and margin expansion continued to drive double-digit earnings growth, and we once again reported strong growth in sales of all our strategic products," said CEO/Chairman Ivan Seidenberg.

Seidenberg also maintained that the company is poised to continue growth in 2008, having added the following projection:

"We see significant opportunities to grow revenues and expand our leadership in wireless and broadband markets, while reducing operating expenses."

The markets appeared to be somewhat skittish toward Verizon’s stock on Monday, with its share price down from the previous close of $37.76 to $37.42 in noon trading (12:00pm ET).

NewsVisual decided to create an IntellectSpace Knowledge Map in order to illustrate the business connections of Verizon’s Board of Directors as a method for assessing their knowledge of business and for determining the likelihood that its Management Team would benefit from the former’s advice.

Aside from Verizon CEO/Chairman Seidenberg, the Knowledge Map shows that the following three Verizon Directors are also the current Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of other companies:

Director Richard L Carrion is the CEO/Chairman for both Popular Inc and Banco Popular de Puerto Rico; Director Clarence Otis Jr is also the CEO/Chairman of Darden Restaurants Inc; and Director Robert W Lane is also the CEO/Chairman of Deere & Co.

The collective business experience of these Directors means they can offer Verizon’s Senior Executives sound advice on company’s strategy for 2008.

(Note: the information contained and presented in Knowledge Maps is public information from the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America).

Click here or copy this link into your Internet Explorer browser for an interactive version of this IntellectSpace Knowledge Map: http://nv.intellectspace.com/ispace/GuestMonitor.aspx?id=e711eeea-0ada-4237-a3f7-5befadaa2e67