Barclays Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price

Key Points

• Barclays cut its price target on Verizon from $47 to $45 while keeping an equal weight rating, implying only modest upside of about 5.68% from the current share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed overall: Verizon now has a consensus Hold rating, with 9 Buy ratings and 12 Hold ratings, and an average target price of $50.28.
• Verizon’s latest earnings topped EPS estimates at $1.28 per share, but revenue came in slightly below expectations at $34.44 billion, even as the company reaffirmed FY 2026 EPS guidance of 4.950–4.990.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by research analysts at Barclays from $47.00 to $45.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "equal weight" rating on the cell phone carrier's stock. Barclays's target price suggests a potential upside of 5.68% from the company's current price.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $50.28.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

NYSE:VZ opened at $42.58 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $177.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $46.38 and a 200-day moving average of $45.97.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after acquiring an additional 5,497,598 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $4,168,080,000 after purchasing an additional 867,694 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 15.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $3,117,471,000 after purchasing an additional 8,289,877 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s broadband gains, AI-related initiatives, and broader convergence strategy are being cited as supports for long-term growth, which could help the stock if execution improves. Verizon Stock Underperforms Industry in a Year: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Positive Sentiment: A new BT joint venture in international enterprise operations and recent spectrum wins add to Verizon’s growth narrative, suggesting the market may be overlooking some strategic upside. Is Verizon Communications (VZ) Below Fair Value As The BT Joint Venture Raises Fresh Questions?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary says telecom risk from Starlink “feels overdone” for now, which may ease some investor concern around competitive pressure on wireless carriers. SpaceX Risk to Telecom Sector ‘Feels Overdone,’ for Now, Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s dividend profile continues to appeal to income investors, with recent articles again highlighting it as a high-yield, long-term holding. 2 Monster Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage comparing Verizon with peers suggests the company’s recent earnings and operating trends are being judged against a much stronger industry backdrop, but this is mainly a valuation/performance review rather than a new catalyst. Q1 Earnings Highs And Lows: Verizon NYSE: VZ Vs The Rest Of The Consumer Discretionary - Wireless, Cable and Satellite Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles noting Verizon has lagged the broader wireless sector over the past year may keep sentiment cautious, but they mostly reflect past underperformance rather than a fresh operational setback. Verizon Stock Underperforms Industry in a Year: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have recently eased, and one market update said VZ closed lower in the latest session, reinforcing the view that investors remain cautious despite the company’s strategic announcements. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Broader telecom and tech headlines about rising competition and AI-related market volatility may also be weighing on sentiment toward wireless stocks like Verizon. Nasdaq down as chip stocks sell off after Samsung earnings

Verizon Communications Company Profile

Verizon Communications Inc NYSE: VZ is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The company's consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.

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