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Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Verizon Communications logo
$48.07 -0.02 (-0.04%)
Closing price 09/18/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$48.18 +0.11 (+0.24%)
As of 07:57 AM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.

Verizon Communications - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
12
Buy
8

Based on 20 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Verizon Communications in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold." Out of the 20 analysts, 12 have given a hold rating, and 8 have given a buy rating for VZ.

Consensus Price Target

$50.97
6.02% Upside
According to the 20 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Verizon Communications, the average price target is $50.97. The highest price target for VZ is $56.00, while the lowest price target for VZ is $44.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 6.02% from the current price of $48.07.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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VZ Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/21/25 to 9/21/26
1 Month Ago
8/22/25 to 8/22/26
3 Months Ago
6/23/25 to 6/23/26
1 Year Ago
9/21/24 to 9/21/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
3 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
8 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
Hold
12 Hold rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
11 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$50.97$50.84$50.59$47.65
Forecasted Upside6.02% Upside3.05% Upside8.15% Upside9.46% Upside
Consensus RatingHoldHoldModerate BuyModerate Buy

VZ Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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VZ Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Verizon Communications Stock vs. The Competition

TypeVerizon CommunicationsCommunication Services CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.40
2.05
2.53
Consensus RatingHoldHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside6.02% Upside146.77% Upside18.44% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent VZ News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
8/26/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
5 of 5 stars
 Reiterated RatingBuy (B)
7/27/2026
TD Cowen logo
TD Cowen
3 of 5 stars
Boost TargetBuy$54.00 ➝ $56.00+18.49%
7/27/2026
Morgan Stanley logo
Morgan Stanley
3 of 5 stars
Benjamin Swinburne
Benjamin Swinburne
1 of 5 stars
Boost TargetEqual Weight$50.00 ➝ $52.00+9.93%
7/27/2026Boost TargetSector Perform$46.00 ➝ $47.00-0.35%
7/27/2026Boost TargetSector Outperform$51.50 ➝ $52.50+11.46%
7/27/2026Boost TargetEqual Weight$43.00 ➝ $47.00+1.84%
7/27/2026Boost TargetEqual Weight$45.00 ➝ $46.00-0.72%
7/20/2026 Lower TargetNeutral$56.00 ➝ $49.00+1.50%
7/14/2026Lower TargetNeutral$46.00 ➝ $44.00+4.01%
6/12/2026 UpgradeHold
5/5/2026 Reiterated RatingBuyHold
4/30/2026Boost TargetNeutral$49.00 ➝ $52.00+8.31%
4/7/2026 DowngradeModerate BuyHold
3/20/2026Boost TargetBuy$50.00 ➝ $55.00+9.94%
3/12/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform$56.00+10.70%
3/11/2026 Boost TargetOutperform$50.00 ➝ $56.00+10.50%
2/2/2026Set Target$54.00+22.05%
2/2/2026 UpgradeOutperform
2/2/2026Reiterated RatingMarket Perform$48.00+8.77%
2/2/2026Boost TargetOutperform$48.00 ➝ $50.00+12.32%
1/26/2026 Reiterated RatingSector Weight
9/2/2025Initiated CoverageBuy$49.00+10.76%
7/22/2025Boost TargetNeutral$45.00 ➝ $49.00+14.76%
7/8/2025UpgradeStrong-Buy
4/28/2025Boost TargetBuy$55.00 ➝ $56.00+33.41%
3/12/2025DowngradeOutperformPeer Perform
1/29/2025 UpgradeHoldBuy$40.00-1.09%
1/27/2025UpgradeStrong-Buy
1/24/2025 Boost TargetHold$40.00 ➝ $42.00+5.84%
12/20/2024 Boost TargetNeutral$44.00 ➝ $45.00+12.78%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Monday at 07:58 AM ET.


Should I Buy Verizon Communications Stock? VZ Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Friday, September 18, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Verizon Communications pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Verizon Communications
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Verizon Communications Inc.:

  • Verizon Communications Inc. offers a compelling income opportunity with a current dividend yield of 5.69%, supported by a stable quarterly payout of $0.7075 per share that is scheduled to be paid on November 2, 2026. This high yield is attractive to income-focused investors because the company maintains a consistent distribution policy, and the payout ratio of 73.70% indicates that the dividend is well-covered by earnings, reducing the risk of a sudden cut while providing a reliable stream of cash flow.
  • The stock is currently trading at $48.07, which is below the average analyst price target of $50.97, suggesting potential upside for investors. This valuation is further supported by a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.52, which is relatively low for a major telecommunications provider, indicating that the market may be undervaluing the company's steady cash flows and mature business model compared to its peers.
  • Verizon Communications Inc. has demonstrated strong earnings performance recently, beating consensus estimates in its most recent quarterly report on July 24, 2026, with actual earnings per share of $1.30 compared to the expected $1.27. This beat, combined with a return on equity of 19.48%, shows that the company is effectively managing its capital and generating strong returns for shareholders, which is a positive signal for future profitability.
  • The company is actively expanding its fiber broadband footprint through the acquisition of Frontier Communications in early January 2026, which positions it to benefit from the growing demand for high-speed internet services. This strategic move enhances its competitive position in the fixed wireless access and fiber-optic internet markets, potentially driving future revenue growth and diversifying its income sources beyond traditional wireless services.
  • Verizon Communications Inc. is advancing its 6G acceleration initiatives and AI trials, targeting the 2028 Olympics as a key test for these new technologies. This forward-looking investment in next-generation network capabilities and AI-native networks could provide a significant competitive advantage in the future, allowing the company to offer superior services and capture new market segments as 6G technology becomes more widespread.

Verizon Communications
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Verizon Communications Inc. for these reasons:

  • Verizon Communications Inc. has a high debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, which indicates that the company relies heavily on debt financing relative to its equity. This high leverage can be a risk factor, especially in a rising interest rate environment, as it increases the company's financial obligations and could limit its flexibility to invest in new technologies or respond to market changes without taking on additional debt.
  • The company's revenue growth has been sluggish, with a year-over-year decline of 0.7% in the most recent quarter, despite beating earnings estimates. This suggests that while the company is managing costs effectively, it is struggling to grow its top line, which could limit its long-term growth potential and make it more vulnerable to competitive pressures from other telecommunications providers.
  • Insider selling has been a recent trend, with CEO Kyle Malady selling 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications Inc. stock on September 8, 2026, at an average price of $49.98. While this sale was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, it is part of a broader pattern of insider selling over the last 90 days, which could signal a lack of confidence in the company's near-term prospects or a desire to diversify personal holdings.
  • Verizon Communications Inc. faces intense competition in the telecommunications sector, with rivals like AT&T and T-Mobile also offering high-yield dividends and aggressive marketing campaigns. This competitive landscape can pressure pricing and customer retention, making it difficult for the company to maintain its market share and profitability, especially as consumers become more price-sensitive and seek better value for their money.
  • The company's current ratio of 0.60 and quick ratio of 0.57 indicate that it has limited short-term liquidity, meaning it may struggle to meet its immediate financial obligations without relying on external financing. This could be a concern for investors who are worried about the company's ability to manage its cash flow and respond to unexpected expenses or market downturns.

VZ Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 20 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Verizon Communications is $50.97, with a high forecast of $56.00 and a low forecast of $44.00.

20 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Verizon Communications in the last year. There are currently 12 hold ratings and 8 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" VZ shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in VZ, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

According to analysts, Verizon Communications's stock has a predicted upside of 6.02% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Verizon Communications has been rated by research analysts at Barclays, BNP Paribas Exane, Moffett Nathanson, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank Of Canada, Scotiabank, TD Cowen, Weiss Ratings, and Wells Fargo & Company in the past 90 days.

Analysts like Verizon Communications more than other "communication services" companies. The consensus rating score for Verizon Communications is 2.40 while the average consensus rating score for "communication services" companies is 2.05. Learn more on how VZ compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Verizon Communications analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 8/26/2026.
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