Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Cut to $46.00 by Analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada cut Verizon’s price target to $46 from $48 and kept a sector perform rating, implying about 6% upside from the current share price.
• Verizon’s stock was trading around $43.38, below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The shares remain near the middle of their 52-week range, with a market cap of about $181 billion.
• Recent sentiment around Verizon is mixed: the company beat EPS estimates in its last quarter, but analysts overall still rate the stock a Hold and reports of 3,000 job cuts highlight ongoing pressure from customer losses.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) had its target price decreased by Royal Bank Of Canada from $48.00 to $46.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "sector perform" rating on the cell phone carrier's stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's price target would suggest a potential upside of 6.03% from the company's current price.

VZ has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Dbs Bank downgraded Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Barclays dropped 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 note on Wednesday, July 8th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane decreased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $49.97.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock traded down $0.20 on Monday, hitting $43.38. The stock had a trading volume of 7,421,425 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,129,631. Verizon Communications has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The business's 50 day moving average is $45.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The stock has a market cap of $181.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Analysts forecast that Verizon Communications will post 4.98 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,759,000 after purchasing an additional 16,704 shares during the last quarter. United Bank boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 11.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $339,000 after buying an additional 806 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 312.0% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,023,000 after buying an additional 17,901 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 17.2% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,779,000 after acquiring an additional 6,034 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP grew its position in Verizon Communications by 5.2% in the second quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $389,000 after acquiring an additional 443 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Negative Sentiment: Verizon is reportedly cutting 3,000 jobs as it works to address ongoing customer losses in its wireless business, reinforcing concerns that the turnaround still faces execution risk. Verizon shifts gears as customers continue to leave
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is being watched as part of a heavy earnings week, but the mention is mostly a calendar item rather than a direct catalyst for shares. Jobs, GM, Tesla, Alphabet, Intel, Verizon, and More to Watch This Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains mixed, with brokerages calling VZ a “Hold” overall and one bank taking a bullish stance on FY2026 earnings, which does not provide a clear near-term direction. Verizon Communications Inc. NYSE: VZ Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks labeled Verizon a top long-term value stock, highlighting its valuation appeal rather than a new business catalyst. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term

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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