Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Verizon shares a consensus “Hold” rating from 21 analysts, with 12 Holds and 9 Buys. The average 12-month price target is about $50.09.
• The company recently posted quarterly earnings of $1.28 per share, beating estimates, though revenue came in slightly below expectations at $34.44 billion. Verizon also reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of 4.950–4.990 EPS.
• Verizon announced a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 6.5%. The company is also pursuing cost cuts, including plans to sell 274 retail stores and reduce jobs, which investors have largely welcomed.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the twenty-one analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $50.0938.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Dbs Bank cut shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. Robinswood Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $43.57 on Friday. Verizon Communications has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The company has a market cap of $181.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.63, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The business's 50 day moving average price is $45.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.07.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share 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 company 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 firm'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. On average, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 4.98 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.02%.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is moving to sell 274 company-owned retail stores to franchisees and cut roughly 3,000 jobs, a restructuring that could lower operating costs and improve margins over time. Reuters: Verizon to shed 274 stores, lay off another 500 corporate employees
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction has been favorable to the cost-reset story, with articles noting VZ rose as investors responded to the store shakeup and expense reduction plans. Yahoo Finance: VZ Stock Rises — Verizon Moves To Slash Costs With Major Store Shakeup
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank slightly raised its FY2026 earnings estimate for Verizon and kept a Hold rating, suggesting only modest near-term earnings improvement. MarketBeat analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expected to report earnings on Friday, which keeps investors focused on whether the restructuring and broadband growth can offset slower revenue trends. American Banking News: Verizon Communications (VZ) to Post Earnings on Friday
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts are cautioning that Verizon already trades at a premium relative to peers, which could limit upside if earnings growth disappoints. Trefis: VZ Earns Its Premium Over Peers. Now What?
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank also lowered its price target to $51.50, reflecting some skepticism about the pace of Verizon’s improvement. American Banking News: Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ Price Target Lowered to $51.50 at Scotiabank

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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