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

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating on Verizon, with 12 holds and nine buys among 21 firms. The average 12-month price target is approximately $50.84, above the reported $46.92 share price.
• Verizon recently exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $1.30 versus the $1.27 consensus, though revenue fell 0.7% year over year and missed estimates. Analysts expect about $5.03 in 2026 EPS.
• The company offers an annualized $2.83 dividend, yielding roughly 6%, but faces substantial debt and intense competition from AT&T, T-Mobile and lower-priced providers that could constrain growth and margins.

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Hold" from the twenty-one research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $50.8438.

VZ has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising their Verizon earnings forecasts slightly. Erste Group lifted its FY2026 estimate to $5.01 per share from $4.99 and its FY2027 estimate to $5.26 from $5.23. The revisions reinforce the current-year consensus forecast of approximately $5.03 per share, although the bank maintained a “Hold” rating. Verizon earnings estimate article
• Positive Sentiment: Stronger wireless performance and potential AI infrastructure deals are improving Verizon’s growth narrative. Rising estimates could support valuation and investor confidence, particularly given the company’s relatively defensive telecommunications business. Verizon earnings revisions article
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon began preorders for Google’s Pixel 11 lineup, including installment and annual-upgrade plans through its Simplicity offering. The launch may help Verizon attract and retain higher-value wireless customers, though the immediate financial impact is likely limited. Verizon Pixel 11 preorder article
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to arrests and convictions related to fiber vandalism in Southern California. The program may deter future outages and protect network reliability, but recent disruptions highlight ongoing infrastructure-security costs and operational risks. Verizon network vandalism reward article
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon still faces significant debt and competition from AT&T, T-Mobile and lower-priced wireless providers. These pressures could limit margin expansion and make the company’s growth investments—including AI infrastructure and network upgrades—more difficult to finance. Verizon competitive and debt risks article

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.7%

VZ opened at $46.92 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $194.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.25. The business's 50-day moving average price is $45.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Verizon Communications has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.Verizon Communications's revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VZ. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Robinswood Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lam Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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