Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Shares Down 1.2% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Shares dipped 1.2% intraday to about $47.55 on below-average volume, with a market cap near $198.8 billion and a P/E of 11.6.
• Analyst sentiment has improved, with multiple upgrades and higher targets (Oppenheimer raised its target to $56) and an average price target of $50.59, giving Verizon a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."
• Operational results were mixed: Verizon beat EPS estimates ($1.28 vs. $1.21) but slightly missed revenue forecasts ($34.44B vs. $34.82B), and it set FY2026 EPS guidance of 4.950–4.990 (in line with analyst expectations); meanwhile, notable insider selling occurred (including a 200,000-share sale by director Hans Erik Vestberg), leaving insiders with just 0.03% ownership.

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) traded down 1.2% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $47.33 and last traded at $47.5490. 17,669,640 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 42% from the average session volume of 30,569,264 shares. The stock had previously closed at $48.11.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VZ has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Erste Group Bank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Barclays boosted their price objective 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 1.2%

The company has a market cap of $198.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.24. The business's 50-day moving average price is $48.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. The business'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, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director directly 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. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,944,459 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $248,212,000 after buying an additional 42,946 shares during the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 17.2% during the first quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 42,631 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,960,000 after acquiring an additional 6,268 shares during the last quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth approximately $235,000. Tevis Investment Management bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth approximately $2,109,000. Finally, AMF Tjanstepension AB grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.0% in the first quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 2,544,470 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $127,732,000 after purchasing an additional 73,218 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

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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