Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Shares Up 2.1% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Verizon shares rose 2.1% on Tuesday, trading as high as $47.79, as investors reacted to fresh positive sentiment around the stock.
• Recent updates suggest Verizon’s consumer business is stabilizing, with postpaid phone subscriber gains, broadband growth, and better retention from the Frontier deal supporting the outlook.
• Wall Street remains cautiously optimistic: Verizon reported better-than-expected quarterly EPS of $1.28 and has a consensus analyst rating of Moderate Buy with a target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) shares shot up 2.1% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $47.79 and last traded at $47.7650. 22,364,218 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 24% from the average session volume of 29,294,217 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.76.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon said its consumer business is showing stronger traction, highlighted by adding postpaid phone subscribers for the first time since 2013, along with broadband growth and improved retention tied to the Frontier deal. That suggests its core wireless franchise is stabilizing and could support future revenue growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to Verizon as an undervalued dividend stock, which may appeal to income-focused investors given its long history of dividend increases and relatively attractive valuation versus peers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile reportedly agreed to form a satellite-based direct-to-device joint venture to reduce dead zones and extend coverage, a move that could strengthen Verizon’s network proposition and long-term competitive position. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s latest Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) underscores the company’s relevance in cybersecurity and enterprise risk analysis, keeping its brand visible in a high-priority market theme. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon also presented at J.P. Morgan’s technology, media and communications conference, but no major new financial guidance or operational surprise was highlighted in the available summary. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with AT&T and other telecom peers suggest Verizon remains part of a broader sector re-rating around dividends, spectrum assets, and AI/network infrastructure rather than a company-specific shock. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on VZ. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Dbs Bank cut Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 2.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $199.45 billion, a PE ratio of 11.65, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.24. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $48.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.57.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications'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, analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications 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 approximately $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at $2,357,158,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 15.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $3,117,471,000 after purchasing an additional 8,289,877 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 31.2% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,286,423,000 after purchasing an additional 7,509,055 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $4,747,930,000 after buying an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

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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