Bill Comes Due at Verizon

Verizon (VZ Quote) is set to answer the critics who charge that the telco has turned its back on shareholders.

The New York phone giant is due to report third-quarter earnings Thursday morning. Wall Street is eager to see the fine point Verizon will put on three key trends.

Investors already know this much: Verizon's network spending is headed way up, while its core phone business is steadily slipping. Fortunately, the biggest encouragement for investors is that its wireless unit is building like a tropical storm. ...