Verizon Makes a $3.3 Billion Deal to Help Protect Its Towering Dividend
However, the deal will delay Verizon's ability to achieve its leverage target. Credit rating agency Fitch expects Verizon's leverage ratio to be around 2.3 times by the time it closes the Frontier acquisition next year. It will then jump back up into the mid-2.0 times range before steadily falling back toward its long-term target.