Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Trading Up 1.1% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Verizon shares rose 1.1% in midday trading on Monday, reaching as high as $47.02 after closing at $46.37 the prior session. Trading volume was below average at about 24.5 million shares.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but leans positive: Verizon has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.59. Recent calls included downgrades to hold from some firms, while others raised targets and maintained buy or outperform ratings.
• In its latest earnings report, Verizon beat EPS expectations with $1.28 per share versus $1.21 expected, though revenue came in slightly below estimates at $34.44 billion. The company also guided FY2026 EPS to $4.950-$4.990, while insiders have recently sold shares and institutions have generally added to positions.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) shares were up 1.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $47.02 and last traded at $46.8770. Approximately 24,477,528 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 29,364,691 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.37.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VZ has been the topic of several research reports. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Scotiabank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and raised their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.1%

The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $195.74 billion, a PE ratio of 11.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.24. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $48.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.52.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 335,856 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $14,761,000 after acquiring an additional 13,787 shares during the period. Avanza Fonder AB grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Avanza Fonder AB now owns 331,962 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $13,521,000 after purchasing an additional 17,495 shares in the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 14.0% during the 3rd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 379,174 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $16,665,000 after purchasing an additional 46,699 shares in the last quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 23.5% in the fourth quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 78,172 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $3,184,000 after purchasing an additional 14,862 shares during the period. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 18.4% in the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 140,981 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $6,196,000 after buying an additional 21,915 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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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