Stocks: (DISH)(VZ)(T)
Short interest in Verizon grew in December, up 6.8 million shares over the previous month to 42.1 million.
Verizon is just beginning to roll out its FiOS fiber-to-the-home platform that is costing the company $18 billion. The stock is also up from $29 in October 2005 to $36 recently.
The cable companies plan to fight Verizon tooth and nail for the territory where customers buy phone service, television and broadband from one company. And, while Verizon is just starting to offer the "triple play" product, the cable companies have been in the business for a couple of years and have signed up hundreds of thousands of VoIP customers, taking business away from Verizon and AT&T.
DirecTV is also working on offering broadband. It has 15 million subscribers to its TV service. The company is even looking at technology that routes broadband through the home using electical circuits.
Not good news for Verizon.
Douglas A. McIntyre can be reached at douglasamcintyre @247walls.com. He does not own securities in companies that he writes about.
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