Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Target Lowered at Daiwa Securities Group

Key Points

• Daiwa Securities Group lowered Verizon’s price target from $55 to $52 while maintaining a “buy” rating, implying 18.85% upside from the previous close.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Verizon has 12 buy ratings and 16 hold ratings, with a consensus “hold” rating and average price target of $50.89.
• Verizon beat quarterly EPS expectations at $1.31 versus $1.27, but revenue of $34.31 billion fell short of the $34.77 billion consensus, highlighting continued concerns about limited top-line growth.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by analysts at Daiwa Securities Group from $55.00 to $52.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the cell phone carrier's stock. Daiwa Securities Group's price target suggests a potential upside of 18.85% from the stock's previous close.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on VZ. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Verizon Communications from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Scotiabank lowered their price target on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $50.00 and set a "sector outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 9th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $50.89.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ stock traded up $0.65 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $43.75. The company had a trading volume of 9,446,300 shares, compared to its average volume of 27,369,229. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $47.54 and a 200-day moving average of $46.65. The company has a market capitalization of $181.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.38, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications has a 12-month low of $38.68 and a 12-month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 26th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $34.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.77 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%. The firm's revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.21 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.48, for a total value of $48,928.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 99,966 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,446,487.68. The trade was a 1.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 9,900 shares of company stock valued at $469,073. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. USS Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $35,790,000 after purchasing an additional 31,354 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc. now owns 317,284 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $13,434,000 after acquiring an additional 25,156 shares in the last quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 127.0% during the 2nd quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 184,170 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $7,798,000 after acquiring an additional 103,046 shares in the last quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ now owns 2,450,129 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $122,996,000 after acquiring an additional 73,159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 30.6% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 5,718,859 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $287,081,000 after acquiring an additional 1,339,580 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong subscriber growth and cash generation support the investment case. Verizon added 406,000 postpaid phone subscribers—its best third-quarter result in five years—and 314,000 broadband customers. Third-quarter free cash flow reached $7.8 billion, while broadband revenue hit a record. Verizon: This 6% Telecom Yield Is Still On Sale
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon beat earnings expectations and raised its outlook. Adjusted third-quarter EPS was $1.31 versus the $1.27 consensus, and management increased its full-year 2026 expectations for adjusted EPS, postpaid phone additions and free cash flow. The company also signed an agreement worth more than $2 billion with Amazon Web Services to support AI infrastructure and data-center connectivity. Verizon Raises 2026 Outlook After Strong Postpaid Subscriber Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Some investors view the valuation and dividend as attractive. Commentary highlighted Verizon’s strong cash flow, dividend support and low forward earnings multiple, which could provide downside protection if the company maintains its operational momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed. TD Cowen maintained a “buy” rating while reducing its price target to $55. Morgan Stanley and Barclays also lowered their targets and retained “equal weight” ratings, reflecting uncertainty about Verizon’s growth rate. Verizon Analysts Cut Their Forecasts Following Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations, overshadowing the earnings beat. Third-quarter revenue rose 1.5% year over year to $34.31 billion, below the $34.77 billion consensus. Investors appear more focused on Verizon’s limited top-line growth and slower phone upgrades than on improved margins and subscriber additions. Verizon Analysts Cut Their Forecasts Following Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX and Starlink are emerging competitive concerns. Verizon’s CEO said satellite partnerships could complement its network but rejected allowing SpaceX to use Verizon’s infrastructure to compete directly for wireless customers. Although management believes SpaceX may be years away from becoming a major rival, the possibility adds pressure to the outlook. Verizon CEO Open to Working With Elon Musk’s Starlink

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and digital connectivity services. Through its consumer business, Verizon offers mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and other connected devices, home internet, fixed wireless access, and fiber-optic broadband services under the Fios brand.

Verizon also serves businesses, government agencies, and other organizations with wireless connectivity, private networks, internet and data services, managed communications, cloud and security solutions, and Internet of Things services.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.