Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Down 1.5% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Verizon stock was down 1.5% mid-day to $45.36 with volume slightly above average, and analysts hold a consensus Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $50.56 after several firms raised targets.
• Verizon beat quarterly estimates with $1.09 EPS and raised FY2026 guidance to $4.90–$4.95, and it increased the quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83), implying a roughly 6.2% yield.
• Insiders have been net sellers (218,148 shares sold in the past 90 days, including a 200,000-share sale by Director Hans Erik Vestberg), while the company trades at a PE of 11.2 and has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report)'s stock price fell 1.5% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $45.04 and last traded at $45.3620. 32,784,201 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 4% from the average session volume of 31,584,719 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.04.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VZ. Weiss Ratings upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Williams Trading set a $54.00 price target on Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 1.5%

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $49.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The stock has a market cap of $189.61 billion, a PE ratio of 11.20, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications's revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This is an increase from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is presently 69.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, 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 value of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. TruNorth Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% in the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares during the period. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors 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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