Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Target Lowered at Scotiabank

Key Points

• Scotiabank lowered Verizon’s price target from $51.50 to $50.00 while maintaining a “sector outperform” rating, implying approximately 7.9% upside from the reported $46.34 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Verizon has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $50.80, with eight Buy ratings and twelve Holds.
• Verizon exceeded quarterly EPS expectations ($1.30 versus $1.27), but revenue declined 0.7% year over year to $34.25 billion. Investors also face competitive pressure from SpaceX’s planned satellite-to-mobile network and continued sensitivity to higher Treasury yields.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) had its target price decreased by equities research analysts at Scotiabank from $51.50 to $50.00 in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "sector outperform" rating on the cell phone carrier's stock. Scotiabank's price target would suggest a potential upside of 7.89% from the stock's current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $50.80.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $46.34 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $48.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.11. Verizon Communications has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The firm has a market cap of $192.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The company had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications's quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications will post 5.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.75, for a total value of $50,325.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 102,166 shares in the company, valued at $4,674,094.50. This trade represents a 1.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,700 shares of company stock valued at $372,922. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 3,568 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $151,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the period. RKL Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 4.3% in the first quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $268,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Manchester Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.6% during the second quarter. Manchester Financial Inc. now owns 34,924 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,479,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $113,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile formed a joint venture to improve wireless coverage in rural areas and remote travel corridors. The initiative could strengthen emergency communications and support future satellite-to-device connectivity, helping Verizon defend its network position. Verizon joins wireless venture
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon declared its regular quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, equivalent to $2.83 annually and a yield of roughly 6.2%. The income appeal may attract value and dividend-focused investors, particularly after the recent selloff. Verizon dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity included purchases of approximately 131,608 Verizon call options, about 149% above average volume. This suggests speculative bullish interest, but it does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX agreed to acquire a nationwide portfolio of low-band 800 MHz spectrum from Grain Management, pending FCC approval. The spectrum would support a hybrid Starlink Mobile network combining satellite and terrestrial coverage, potentially allowing SpaceX to compete directly with Verizon for wireless customers and reducing the value of carriers’ traditional network advantages. SpaceX spectrum acquisition
• Negative Sentiment: Shares of Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile declined sharply after the SpaceX announcement as investors priced in possible pressure on subscriber growth, pricing power and long-term wireless returns. The competitive risk is strategic and may take time to affect earnings, but it has materially weakened sentiment toward the telecom group. Starlink Mobile spectrum deal
• Negative Sentiment: Higher Treasury yields remain an additional headwind for high-yield telecom stocks because they make bonds relatively more attractive and increase financing costs. Verizon’s debt-to-equity ratio is 1.36, adding to investor sensitivity around leverage and dividend sustainability. Dividend stocks in a higher-rate environment

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company headquartered in New York City and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VZ. The company was formed in 2000 through the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE and has developed into one of the largest communications providers in the United States.

Verizon's consumer business provides wireless voice and data services, smartphones and other connected devices, home internet, broadband, and related communications products.

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