UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report: January 12, 2005
(Date of earliest event reported)
VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 1-8606 | 23-2259884 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 1095 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York |
10036 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 395-2121
Not applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On January 12, 2005, at the Smith Barney Citigroup Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference, Thomas Bartlett, Senior Vice President – Investor Relations, made a presentation concerning industry issues and opportunities, and Verizon Communications Inc.’s (Verizon) growth and other initiatives. Mr. Bartlett stated that pension and postretirement costs are expected to increase in 2005 by approximately ten to fourteen cents per share over 2004 costs, based on an assumed discount rate of 5.75 percent. He also noted that the effect of lost earnings from those international and other holdings that Verizon has sold or agreed to sell, which include TELUS Corp., Verizon Information Services Canada Inc. and Verizon Hawaii Inc., was estimated to reduce 2005 earnings by approximately eight cents per share.
NOTE: This report contains statements about expected future events and financial results that are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following important factors could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements: materially adverse changes in economic and industry conditions and labor matters, including workforce levels and labor negotiations, and any resulting financial and/or operational impact, in the markets served by us or by companies in which we have substantial investments; material changes in available technology; technology substitution; an adverse change in the ratings afforded our debt securities by nationally accredited ratings organizations; the final results of federal and state regulatory proceedings concerning our provision of retail and wholesale services and judicial review of those results; the effects of competition in our markets; the timing, scope and financial impacts of our deployment of fiber-to-the-premises broadband technology; the ability of Verizon Wireless to continue to obtain sufficient spectrum resources; and changes in our accounting assumptions that regulatory agencies, including the SEC, may require or that result from changes in the accounting rules or their application, which could result in an impact on earnings.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| Verizon Communications Inc. | ||||
| (Registrant) | ||||
| Date: January 12, 2005 |
/s/ David H. Benson | |||
| David H. Benson | ||||
| Senior Vice President and Controller | ||||