Should I buy or sell Verizon Communications stock right now?

14 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Verizon Communications in the last year. There are currently 6 hold ratings and 8 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" VZ shares. View VZ analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks .

What is Verizon Communications' stock price target for 2024?

14 analysts have issued 1-year target prices for Verizon Communications' stock. Their VZ share price targets range from $39.00 to $50.00. On average, they anticipate the company's share price to reach $44.21 in the next twelve months. This suggests a possible upside of 12.7% from the stock's current price. View analysts price targets for VZ or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts .

How have VZ shares performed in 2024?

Verizon Communications' stock was trading at $37.70 on January 1st, 2024. Since then, VZ shares have increased by 4.0% and is now trading at $39.22. View the best growth stocks for 2024 here .

Are investors shorting Verizon Communications?

Verizon Communications saw a drop in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 41,250,000 shares, a drop of 14.0% from the March 31st total of 47,960,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 19,440,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.1 days. View Verizon Communications' Short Interest .

When is Verizon Communications' next earnings date?

The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Tuesday, July 23rd 2024. View our VZ earnings forecast .

How were Verizon Communications' earnings last quarter?

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) posted its earnings results on Monday, April, 22nd. The cell phone carrier reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.03. The cell phone carrier earned $33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.23 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 8.44% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 20.41%. The company's revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.20 earnings per share. Read the conference call transcript .

How often does Verizon Communications pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Verizon Communications?

Verizon Communications declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.665 per share on Wednesday, May 1st. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.78%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 9th. Read our dividend analysis for VZ .

Is Verizon Communications a good dividend stock?

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) pays an annual dividend of $2.66 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 6.70%. VZ has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 19 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 99.25%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, VZ will have a dividend payout ratio of 56.36% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for VZ .

What ETFs hold Verizon Communications' stock?

ETFs with the largest weight of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) stock in their portfolio include iShares U.S. Telecommunications ETF (IYZ) , Invesco Dow Jones Industrial Average Dividend ETF (DJD) , First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index (FDL) , SPDR Portfolio S&P Sector Neutral Dividend ETF (SPDG) , FT Vest DJIA Dogs 10 Target Income ETF (DOGG) , WBI Power Factor High Dividend ETF (WBIY) , iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV) and Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Communication Services ETF (EWCO) .

What guidance has Verizon Communications issued on next quarter's earnings?

Verizon Communications issued an update on its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Monday, April, 22nd. The company provided EPS guidance of 4.500-4.700 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 4.580. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

What is Hans Vestberg's approval rating as Verizon Communications' CEO?

1,639 employees have rated Verizon Communications Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg on Glassdoor.com . Hans Vestberg has an approval rating of 83% among the company's employees.

What other stocks do shareholders of Verizon Communications own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other Verizon Communications investors own include AT&T (T) , Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) , Cisco Systems (CSCO) , Intel (INTC) , Pfizer (PFE) , Walt Disney (DIS) , NVIDIA (NVDA) , JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) , AbbVie (ABBV) and Home Depot (HD) .

Who are Verizon Communications' major shareholders?

Verizon Communications' stock is owned by many different institutional and retail investors. Top institutional investors include Bank of New York Mellon Corp (0.68%), Raymond James & Associates (0.39%), Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. (0.26%), State of Michigan Retirement System (0.20%), Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. (0.16%) and New York State Teachers Retirement System (0.10%). Insiders that own company stock include Craig L Silliman, Craig L Silliman , Hans Erik Vestberg , Joseph J Russo , Kumara Guru Gowrappan , Kyle Malady , Samantha Hammock and Tami A Erwin . View institutional ownership trends .

How do I buy shares of Verizon Communications?

Shares of VZ stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services. Compare Top Brokerages Here .

Does Verizon Communications have any subsidiaries?

The following companies are subsidiares of Verizon Communications: AOL, AirTouch Cellular Inc., Alltel, Alltel Corporation, BAMS Communications LLC, Blue Jeans Network, BlueJeans Network, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellco Partnership, CloudSwitch, Complex, EdgeCast Networks, FleetMatics, GTE, GTE Wireless LLC, Hughes Telematics, Inceptor, Incubed IT, Jaunt, LQD WiFi, MCI Communications, MCI Communications Services LLC, Moment, Niddel, ProtectWise, Qwest Wireless Spectrum (Network Assets), Senion, Sensity Systems, Skyward, SocialRadar, Straight Path Communications, Telogis, Terremark Worldwide, TracFone Wireless, UpLynk, Verizon Americas LLC, Verizon Avenue, Verizon Business Network Services LLC, Verizon Delaware LLC, Verizon International Business Ventures Inc., Verizon International Inc., Verizon Maryland LLC, Verizon New England Inc., Verizon New Jersey Inc., Verizon New York Inc., Verizon Pennsylvania LLC, Verizon Ventures LLC, Verizon Virginia LLC, Vessel, Vidder, Volicon, WideOpenWest - Fiber-Optic Network, XO Communications, Yahoo!, and go90. Read More

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NYSE:VZ

Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Price, News & Analysis

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$39.22

-0.27 (-0.68%)

(As of 04/25/2024 ET)

Compare

Today's Range: $38.96
▼
$39.82
50-Day Range: $38.62
▼
$42.84
52-Week Range: $30.14
▼
$43.42

Volume: 16.59 million shs
Average Volume: 20.18 million shs
Market Capitalization: $164.89 billion

P/E Ratio: 14.63
Dividend Yield: 6.78%
Price Target: $44.21

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Verizon Communications MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Analyst Rating: Moderate Buy
2.57 Rating Score
Upside/Downside: 12.7% Upside
$44.21 Price Target
Short Interest: Healthy
0.98% of Shares Sold Short
Dividend Strength: Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability: -0.95
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment: 0.45
Based on 95 Articles This Week
Insider Trading: Selling Shares
$1.58 M Sold Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth: 2.83%
From $4.59 to $4.72 Per Share

Overall MarketRank^™

New Rank-Based ScoringMarketRank^™ is calculated by averaging available category scores (with extra weight given to analysis and valuation), then ranking the company's weighted average against that of other companies.

4.94 out of 5 stars

Computer And Technology Sector

15th out of 589 stocks

Telephone Communication, Except Radio Industry

2nd out of 18 stocks

3.3

Analyst's Opinion

Consensus Rating
Verizon Communications has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.57, and is based on 8 buy ratings, 6 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.
Amount of Analyst Coverage
Verizon Communications has been the subject of 5 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock.

5.0

Short Interest

Percentage of Shares Shorted
0.98% of the outstanding shares of Verizon Communications have been sold short.
Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover
Verizon Communications has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.1, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.
Change versus previous month
Short interest in Verizon Communications has recently decreased by 13.99%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

4.2

Dividend Strength

Dividend Leadership
Verizon Communications is a leading dividend payer. It pays a dividend yield of 6.70%, putting its dividend yield in the top 25% of dividend-paying stocks.
Dividend Growth
Verizon Communications has been increasing its dividend for 19 years.
Dividend Coverage
The dividend payout ratio of Verizon Communications is 99.25%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable.
Dividend Sustainability
Based on earnings estimates, Verizon Communications will have a dividend payout ratio of 56.36% next year. This indicates that Verizon Communications will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

3.5

Sustainability and ESG

Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Score
Verizon Communications has received a 42.11% net impact score from Upright. Verizon Communications seems to create the most significant positive value in categories "Taxes", "Knowledge infrastructure", and "Distributing knowledge". The positive contribution in the "Knowledge infrastructure" impact category is mostly driven by its "Fixed consumer internet provision", "Mobile consumer internet provision", and "Urban area cellular networks" products. See details.
Environmental Sustainability
The Environmental Impact score for Verizon Communications is -0.95.

1.9

News and Social Media Coverage

News Sentiment
Verizon Communications has a news sentiment score of 0.45. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This news sentiment score is similar to the average news sentiment of Computer and Technology companies.
News Coverage This Week
MarketBeat has tracked 95 news articles for Verizon Communications this week, compared to 29 articles on an average week.
Search Interest
Only 272 people have searched for VZ on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -15% compared to the previous 30 days.
MarketBeat Follows
Only 125 people have added Verizon Communications to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -9% compared to the previous 30 days.

2.5

Company Ownership

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling
In the past three months, Verizon Communications insiders have sold more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $0.00 in company stock and sold $1,584,150.00 in company stock.
Percentage Held by Insiders
Only 0.02% of the stock of Verizon Communications is held by insiders.
Percentage Held by Institutions
62.06% of the stock of Verizon Communications is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

1.9

Earnings and Valuation

Earnings Growth
Earnings for Verizon Communications are expected to grow by 2.83% in the coming year, from $4.59 to $4.72 per share.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market
The P/E ratio of Verizon Communications is 14.63, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 145.07.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector
The P/E ratio of Verizon Communications is 14.63, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Computer and Technology sector average P/E ratio of about 267.43.
Price to Earnings Growth Ratio
Verizon Communications has a PEG Ratio of 3.23. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.
Price to Book Value per Share Ratio
Verizon Communications has a P/B Ratio of 1.72. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

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About Verizon Communications Stock (NYSE:VZ)

Verizon Communications Inc. is the US's largest provider of mobile and telephone services. It has its roots in the original Bell system and is one of only 3 “baby Bells” to exist today. The company was spun off from the original Bell network as Bell Atlantic when it was split into 7 companies in 1984. The original home range was from New Jersey to Virginia but, ironically, shortly after the split the baby bells, including Bell Atlantic, began to merge together in order to expand their territories.

Bell Atlantic acquired NYNEX, another baby Bell, in a move that expanded operations into New York and New England. MCI was also added, expanding the long-distance services, then the company acquired until-then independent operator GTE and became a national carrier. The company changed its name to Verizon following the GTE merger and it is a blend of the Latin word veritas which means Truth and Horizon.

Over the years, Verizon has expanded its territory and its offerings to include mobile, internet and entertainment. Among the more notable were the purchase and merging of AOL and Yahoo! which were later spun off in a sale to Apollo Global Management. Among the more important changes the company has made was to sell off its land-based wirelines. Verizon began selling off its land-based wirelines in 2005 in order to focus more fully on mobile and Internet technology.

Today, Verizon offers communications, information technology, and entertainment products to consumers globally. The company operates in 2 key segments that include Consumer and Business. The Consumer segment provides wireless connectivity, internet access for mobile devices, and wireless and mobile devices including those for the IoT. As of the end of the year 2021, the company laid claim to more than 143 million retail subscribers and was the largest mobile provider by almost 30%.

The Business segment provides connectivity at the enterprise level that includes mobile, networking, Internet access, VOIP and video, security and IoT. As of 2021, this segment had more than 27 million wireless and 477,000 broadband connections. Both the Consumer and Business segments are being upgraded to the 5G protocol. At the end of 2022 more than 175 million users were covered by the service.

Verizon is the US's 24th largest company by revenue and a member of both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company has paid a dividend every quarter since it went public in 2000 and had increased the payment for 18 consecutive years as of 2022.

Written by Jeffrey Neal Johnson

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