Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Moderate Buy consensus from 21 analysts on Verizon, with an average 1‑year price target of $50.59 and a breakdown of 10 holds, 9 buys and 2 strong buys.
• Verizon beat Q1 EPS ($1.28 vs. $1.21) but missed revenue ($34.44B vs. $34.82B) and set FY2026 guidance of $4.95–$4.99 EPS, signaling operational improvement alongside mixed fundamentals.
• Insider selling (~$12M over the past year, including a 200,000‑share sale by director Hans Erik Vestberg) and rising competition from T‑Mobile are cited as risks that could pressure the stock.

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-one research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $50.5938.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on VZ shares. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective 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. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st.

Insider Activity

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. RKL Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of 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. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $113,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,426,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the period. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $257,000 after buying an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Triton Wealth Management PLLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 1.2%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $47.55 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $48.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.05. Verizon Communications has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $198.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.60, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.24. 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 (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and operational improvement: Verizon beat EPS expectations, reported improved postpaid phone net additions, and cited lower acquisition/retention costs — management framed results as evidence of durable, recurring revenue progress. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon’s Q1 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support / price target lift: At least one outlet flagged a higher price target ($52), indicating some analysts see upside from current levels. Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ Price Target Raised to $52.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Value-stock narrative: Several analysts and research services highlight VZ as a long‑term value pick given low multiples (single‑digit forward P/E) and dividend yield, which supports income-focused investor interest but may limit rapid re-rating. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Cheap multiple, complicated outlook: Commentary notes VZ trades at low earnings multiples but faces structural questions, tempering enthusiasm for a durable multiple expansion. Verizon Stock: Cheap Multiple, Complicated Story
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Company insiders sold roughly US$12M of VZ stock over the past year, which investors can interpret as hedging or reduced insider conviction and that can pressure sentiment. Verizon Communications Insiders Sold US$12m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure and sector dynamics: Analysts are increasingly bullish on competitors (notably T‑Mobile), and sector narratives about “telecom wars” and upside in peers may divert investor dollars away from VZ. Q1 2026 Telecom Wars: Analyst Eye 30% Gains in T-Mobile Post-Earnings (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and past outage: While EPS beat, revenue came in below estimates and management acknowledged a January network outage — mixed fundamentals plus execution risks can prompt profit‑taking. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon’s Q1 Earnings Call

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.

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.