Verizon Has A Safe (And Growing) Dividend: The Numbers Prove It

Summary:

- Verizon pre-announced strong subscriber numbers for the period ended December 31, 2018, and the stock popped ~3%.

- Verizon should be viewed as an income play (with some growth prospects as a kicker - e.g. 5G) that has a supportable dividend and great dividend growth prospects.

- I am long Verizon and plan to get longer in the months/quarters ahead.

On January 8, 2019, Verizon's ($VZ) stock jumped by almost 3% after management reported strong subscriber numbers for the most recent quarter. This pre-announcement is extremely encouraging news for this large telecom as it heads into a new year. In today's market, I believe that Verizon is just the type of company that investors should be interested in, especially given the increasing possibility of an economic slowdown (I am not in the "recession is coming in 2019" camp, yet) in the next 12-18 months.

Verizon enters 2019 after a year of outperforming both its closest peer, AT&T (T), and the broader market by wide margins.

Looking ahead, however, I still believe that the stock has room to run. Since Verizon is viewed as a defensive, income play, some pundits are concerned about the company's dividend growth prospects. But, if you ask me, this company has the potential to significantly increase its dividend in the years ahead, and the number prove it.