Verizon Communications' (VZ) "Hold" Rating Reiterated at Erste Group Bank

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a "Hold" rating on Verizon Communications.
• Analyst coverage is mixed but averages to a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $50.59.
• Verizon beat Q1 EPS estimates at $1.28 (revenue $34.44B slightly below consensus) and set FY2026 guidance of 4.950–4.990 EPS.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold" rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on VZ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Evercore boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. KeyCorp reaffirmed a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ stock opened at $47.55 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $48.94 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.05. Verizon Communications has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. 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 company has a market cap of $198.75 billion, a PE ratio of 11.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.25.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue 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, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 4.95 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Adell Harriman & Carpenter Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.0% in the first quarter. Adell Harriman & Carpenter Inc. now owns 117,696 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $5,908,000 after acquiring an additional 5,560 shares in the last quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 14.1% during the first quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 25,523 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,281,000 after buying an additional 3,161 shares in the last quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at approximately $211,000. CFO Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 10.2% during the first quarter. CFO Capital Management LLC now owns 14,227 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $715,000 after buying an additional 1,316 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nwam LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 4.0% during the first quarter. Nwam LLC now owns 43,784 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $2,198,000 after buying an additional 1,701 shares in 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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