Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Trading Up 3% on Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Shares rose about 3% after JPMorgan raised its price target from $49 to $52 (maintaining a Neutral rating); volume was ~34.4M (+12%) and the analyst consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of $50.59.
• Verizon beat Q1 EPS estimates ($1.28 vs. $1.21), added roughly 55k new wireless subscribers from promotions and raised FY2026 profit guidance, underpinning the bullish momentum.
• Downside risks include higher leverage from the Frontier acquisition, stiff competition from T‑Mobile and Comcast, and notable insider selling (218,148 shares sold in the past three months) that may worry income-focused investors.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) shares were up 3% on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $49.00 to $52.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Verizon Communications traded as high as $48.05 and last traded at $48.0110. Approximately 34,375,974 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 12% from the average daily volume of 30,797,299 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.61.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Evercore increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Dbs Bank cut Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results showed an EPS beat and operating momentum (postpaid phone subscriber gains, profitability/cash-flow strength) and management raised FY26 profit guidance — the core driver of the bullish reaction. VZ Q1 Deep Dive: Customer Retention and Efficiency Drive Operating Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target from $49 to $52 (maintaining a Neutral rating), signaling incremental analyst confidence and giving the stock further upside narrative. JPMorgan raises Verizon price target
• Positive Sentiment: Promotional activity appears to be working: Verizon gained ~55k new wireless subscribers from promotions and lifted FY26 profit guidance, supporting the revenue/profit trajectory underpinning the rally. Verizon's promos lead to 55K new wireless subscribers; raises FY26 profit guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly trimmed its FY2027 EPS forecast (from $5.28 to $5.26) but still holds a Strong-Buy view — a modest analyst revision that isn’t materially changing the story. MarketBeat - Verizon analyst note
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry hires and partner recognition (e.g., OXIO appointment of a former Verizon exec; Cydcor award) are notable for the competitive and partner ecosystem but have limited direct near-term impact on VZ stock. OXIO Appoints Former Verizon Executive Jeremy Bolton Cydcor Earns Verizon's 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year Award
• Negative Sentiment: Debt concerns following the Frontier acquisition and related commentary have resurfaced as a downside risk for income-focused investors — higher leverage could pressure the dividend outlook or ratings if free cash flow weakens. The Ticking Time Bomb That Could Force Income Investors to Sell Verizon Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from carriers like T‑Mobile (which posted a strong quarter) and Comcast’s growing mobile footprint remain headwinds for share gains and pricing. T-Mobile Stock Rises on Earnings Beat

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VZ. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% in the third 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 stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Avanza Fonder AB now owns 331,962 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $13,521,000 after acquiring an additional 17,495 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 14.0% in the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 379,174 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $16,665,000 after acquiring an additional 46,699 shares during the period. Econ Financial Services Corp grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 14,862 shares during the period. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 21,915 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

The business's 50 day moving average price is $48.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $200.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.79 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business'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. Sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.02%.

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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