Verizon president McAdam talks on stage with Verizon CEO Seidenberg and Consumer Electronics Association President Shapiro on the opening day of the CES in Las Vegas
Verizon president and COO Lowell McAdam (L) talks on stage with Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg (R) and Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro (C) after the Verizon keynote address on the opening day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas January 6, 2011. REUTERS

(Reuters) -- Verizon Communications posted a quarterly loss due to a non-cash pension charge and high costs from strong sales of the Apple Inc iPhone.

Its Verizon Wireless venture with Vodafone Group Plc reported 1.2 million net new subscribers compared with the average expectation for over 1 million subscribers from four analysts contacted by Reuters with estimates ranging from 975,000 to 1.2 million.

Verizon posted a fourth-quarter loss of 71 cents per share compared with a profit of 93 cents a share a year earlier.

Excluding a hefty non-cash pension-related charge, it earned 52 cents per share.

Revenue rose to $28.4 billion from $26.4 billion in the year-ago quarter and compared with analyst expectations for $28.39 billion according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting By Sinead Carew; Editing by Derek Caney)

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