Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the twenty ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $50.9667.

Several brokerages have weighed in on VZ. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total value of $54,978.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 106,566 shares in the company, valued at $5,326,168.68. The trade was a 1.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,400 shares of company stock valued at $219,142. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gill Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 74.6% in the 2nd quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 620 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Robinswood Financial LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $50.58 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Verizon Communications has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.52. The stock has a market cap of $210.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.17, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.22 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 73.70%.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Service convergence is strengthening growth. Verizon’s Frontier acquisition is helping accelerate service-revenue growth, while bundled mobile, broadband and fiber offerings are contributing to stronger broadband additions, higher adoption and lower churn. Analysts view the company’s valuation and substantial free-cash-flow-supported dividend as attractive for income-focused investors. Verizon Firing On All Cylinders – Focus On Service Convergence
• Positive Sentiment: New iPhone 18 Pro promotions could support subscriber additions. Verizon is offering annual upgrades, trade-in savings of up to $1,200 for eligible customers, and incentives for switchers, including some offers that do not require a trade-in. These promotions may improve upgrade activity and customer acquisition, although they could pressure near-term margins. Switch to Verizon and get the new iPhone 18 Pro
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s multi-year agreement for more than 80 million miles of Corning optical fiber supports planned broadband expansion and potential AI data-center connectivity through 2032. Corning Just Locked In a Massive Verizon Fiber Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.7075 per share, preserving its annualized 5.7% yield but offering no new dividend-growth catalyst. Verizon Keeps Quarterly Dividend at $0.7075
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon removed its price-lock guarantee from the myPlan offering, potentially weakening a customer-friendly perk and signaling greater pricing flexibility in a competitive market. Verizon scales back its price-lock guarantee
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold $54,978 of shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction is relatively small but may create modest caution among investors. Verizon CEO sells shares

Verizon Communications Company Profile

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related technology services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, 5G connectivity, fixed wireless access, fiber-optic internet through Verizon Fios, home services, and connected-device solutions.

Through Verizon Business, the company serves enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations with communications networks, managed connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud and edge-computing services, unified communications, and Internet of Things solutions.