Verizon is showing a significant turnaround under its new leadership. CEO Dan Schulman, who joined in October, is achieving results that many did not expect so quickly, especially regarding subscriber gains.

In the last quarter, the company added 616,000 net postpaid subscribers, far exceeding analyst projections of around 417,000. That number is quite notable considering Verizon had been losing ground to competitors over the previous three quarters. T-Mobile US has been pushing hard, so this rebound in subscribers is a strategic move.

The overall numbers also look good. Fourth-quarter revenue grew 2% year-over-year, reaching $36.4 billion, slightly surpassing analyst expectations. The wireless services division, which is the company's main driver, generated $21 billion. At the end of the quarter, Verizon had a total of 146.9 million retail wireless connections.

What’s interesting is that Schulman is doing this while implementing aggressive cost-cutting measures. In November, he launched the largest layoffs in Verizon’s history, emphasizing the need to be more agile. That may sound contradictory, but it seems to be working. The company is becoming more efficient while gaining new subscribers.

In broadband, Verizon is also accelerating. They added 372,000 net broadband subscribers in the quarter. They just completed the acquisition of Frontier Communications for $9.6 billion, which increased their total fixed broadband wireless and fiber connections to 16.3 million. This significantly expands their reach in the residential internet segment.

Looking ahead, Schulman projects adding between 750,000 and one million net postpaid subscribers this year. Wireless service revenue is expected to remain stable, while total mobility and broadband revenue will grow between 2% and 3%. They are also becoming more disciplined with capital spending, projecting between $16 billion and $16.5 billion for 2026 versus the $17 billion planned for 2025.

What stands out here is that Schulman, who previously led PayPal, is bringing a different approach. He talks about financially disciplined growth, which is a change from how Verizon operated before. After losing momentum over several quarters, achieving this rebound in subscribers while restructuring the company is an indicator that the new direction may be working.