Morgan Stanley Raises Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target to $52.00

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised Verizon’s price target from $50 to $52 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying approximately 10% upside from the reported share price. The broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with an average target of $50.63.
• Verizon’s latest quarter showed adjusted EPS of $1.30, beating estimates of $1.27, but revenue of $34.25 billion fell short of expectations and declined 0.7% year over year.
• Institutional ownership remains substantial at 62.06%, with major investors including State Street, Charles Schwab, Bank of America and Norges Bank increasing or initiating positions.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $50.00 to $52.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "equal weight" rating on the cell phone carrier's stock. Morgan Stanley's target price points to a potential upside of 10.09% from the company's current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. Barclays increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.63.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VZ traded up $0.85 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $47.23. 12,881,884 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 29,085,561. The company's 50 day moving average price is $45.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.24. The firm has a market cap of $197.23 billion, a PE ratio of 12.32, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57.

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 net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.22 EPS. The firm's 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, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $2,357,158,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 15.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $3,117,471,000 after acquiring an additional 8,289,877 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Verizon Communications by 31.2% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,286,423,000 after acquiring an additional 7,509,055 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $9,080,810,000 after acquiring an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the fourth 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 acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon raised its 2026 outlook after reporting lower customer churn, reduced device-subsidy costs, broadband growth and AI-related fiber deals. Management indicated these trends could support faster earnings and cash-flow growth. VZ Q2 Earnings Call Signals Faster Growth From Churn Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted earnings per share beat analysts’ expectations, and the company’s improved guidance reinforced the view that cost controls and operational improvements are offsetting some industry pressure. Verizon Communications Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its price target to $52.50 and maintained a “sector outperform” rating, suggesting meaningful potential upside based on Verizon’s improving churn and growth initiatives. Scotiabank Verizon Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon continues to attract attention from income-oriented investors because of its substantial dividend and defensive telecommunications business model. Dividend Stocks Retirees Are Using to Replace a Paycheck
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada, Wells Fargo and Barclays each raised their price targets, but all retained neutral “sector perform” or “equal weight” ratings. Their revised targets remain around the current trading range, limiting the overall bullish signal. Analyst Price Target Revisions
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis argued that Verizon’s structural challenges persist: quarterly revenue declined, competition is intensifying from satellite providers such as Starlink, and the company carries substantial debt while maintaining large dividend and buyback commitments. These concerns could constrain long-term growth and financial flexibility. Verizon: Structural Problems Persist

About Verizon Communications

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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