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Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Verizon Communications logo
$44.80 +0.40 (+0.91%)
Closing price 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$44.76 -0.04 (-0.08%)
As of 07:59 PM Eastern
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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

$50.80
13.39% Upside
According to the 20 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Verizon Communications, the average price target is $50.80. 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 13.39% from the current price of $44.80.
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
10/16/25 to 10/16/26
1 Month Ago
9/16/25 to 9/16/26
3 Months Ago
7/18/25 to 7/18/26
1 Year Ago
10/16/24 to 10/16/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
3 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
8 Buy rating(s)
8 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
6 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$50.80$50.97$50.09$47.63
Forecasted Upside13.39% Upside2.29% Upside14.98% Upside17.96% Upside
Consensus RatingHoldHoldHoldModerate 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
2.08
2.53
Consensus RatingHoldHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside14.34% Upside273.78% Upside17.77% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent VZ News
Positive News
Positive News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/9/2026
Scotiabank logo
Scotiabank
4 of 5 stars
Maher Yaghi
Maher Yaghi
2 of 5 stars
Lower TargetSector Outperform$51.50 ➝ $50.00+7.89%
8/26/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
3 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%
7/27/2026Boost TargetEqual Weight$50.00 ➝ $52.00+9.93%
7/27/2026Boost TargetSector Perform$46.00 ➝ $47.00-0.35%
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 RatingBuy ➝ Hold
4/30/2026Boost TargetNeutral$49.00 ➝ $52.00+8.31%
4/7/2026 DowngradeModerate Buy ➝ Hold
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%
3/12/2025DowngradeOutperform ➝ Peer Perform
1/29/2025 UpgradeHold ➝ Buy$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 Friday at 08:08 PM 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 Wednesday, October 14, 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 6.62%, which is significantly higher than many other large-cap stocks. This high yield is supported by the company's steady wireless revenue and strong cash generation, making it an attractive option for income-focused investors who are looking to maximize their returns in the current market environment.
  • The stock is currently trading at $44.41, which represents a significant discount to the consensus price target of $50.80. This valuation gap suggests that the market may be overreacting to recent negative news, providing a potential entry point for investors who believe the company's long-term fundamentals remain strong and that the stock is undervalued relative to its peers.
  • Verizon Communications Inc. has recently announced complimentary safety, family-protection, and productivity benefits for eligible subscribers, including Digital Secure, Verizon Family, and six months of Google AI Pro. These perks are designed to improve customer retention and make Verizon's plans more valuable, which could help the company maintain its subscriber base and drive future revenue growth.
  • The company has a low forward price-to-earnings ratio, which indicates that it is trading at a discount compared to its expected future earnings. This low valuation, combined with the company's high dividend yield, makes it an attractive investment for value-oriented investors who are looking for stocks that are undervalued relative to their earnings potential.
  • Verizon Communications Inc. has a strong balance sheet and a solid track record of paying dividends, which provides a level of stability and predictability for investors. The company's debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36 is manageable, and its current ratio of 0.60 and quick ratio of 0.57 indicate that it has sufficient liquidity to meet its short-term obligations.

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. faces significant competition from emerging technologies such as satellite-based internet services, which could erode its market share and revenue growth. The company's heavy debt load of $165 billion also poses a risk, as it limits its ability to invest in new technologies and could make it more vulnerable to economic downturns.
  • The company's revenue growth has been sluggish, with a year-over-year decline of 0.7% in the most recent quarter. This lack of growth, combined with the high debt load, raises concerns about the company's ability to generate sufficient cash flow to service its debt and maintain its dividend payments.
  • Verizon Communications Inc. has a high dividend payout ratio of 73.70%, which means that it is paying out a large portion of its earnings as dividends. This leaves less room for reinvestment in the business, which could limit its long-term growth potential and make it more difficult to compete with newer, more agile competitors.
  • The stock has underperformed the S&P 500 over the past five years, even when dividends are taken into account. This underperformance suggests that the company's business model may be facing structural headwinds that are difficult to overcome, and that investors may be better off allocating their capital to other sectors or companies with stronger growth prospects.
  • Verizon Communications Inc. is facing increasing regulatory scrutiny and potential antitrust challenges, which could limit its ability to expand its business and increase its market share. The company's dominance in the wireless market has made it a target for regulators, and any adverse regulatory decisions could have a significant impact on its financial performance and stock price.

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 $50.80, 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 13.39% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Verizon Communications has been rated by research analysts at Barclays, 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 2.08. 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 10/9/2026.
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