Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Up 1.6% Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) were up 1.6% on Wednesday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $47.00 to $49.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Verizon Communications traded as high as $47.55 and last traded at $46.97. Approximately 46,144,152 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 24% from the average daily volume of 37,237,387 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.25.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.02.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and subscriber strength — Verizon posted a fourth‑quarter earnings and revenue beat and reported sizable wireless subscriber additions, which underpins near‑term revenue momentum and investor confidence. InsiderMonkey Q4/Subscriber Adds
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — multiple firms have raised price targets or ratings (Citigroup to $50 buy, Evercore/Scotiabank, JPMorgan raised) supporting upside expectations and helping buying interest. Citigroup PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and cost actions — management is executing cost savings, pursuing a $25B buyback program and recently increased the quarterly dividend, all of which bolster EPS and free‑cash‑flow outlook for 2026. Seeking Alpha: Momentum & Buyback
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage parsing valuation — pieces from Zacks and others are discussing whether the Q4 beat and yield justify repositioning into VZ; useful background but not an immediate catalyst. Zacks Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/flow influence — some of today’s move reflects the S&P 500 Communications Index and sector flows rather than pure company‑specific news. Kalkine Media
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reputational risk — Senator Maria Cantwell said Verizon (and AT&T) are blocking release of Salt Typhoon security assessment reports and requested CEOs testify before Congress, creating potential regulatory scrutiny and reputational risk. Reuters: Senator on Salt Typhoon
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/competitive escalation — Verizon filed a suit accusing T‑Mobile of false advertising over savings claims; this could intensify competitive spending on promotions and trigger legal costs or a public dispute. Reuters: Verizon sues T‑Mobile
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and margin concerns — an EVP disclosed a sizable share sale and analysts warn that heavy 5G/fiber investment, price‑lock dynamics and margin pressure could limit multiple expansion. SEC Form 4: Russo Sale

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 13.7% during the 4th quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 22,392 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $912,000 after purchasing an additional 2,696 shares in the last quarter. Biltmore Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Biltmore Family Office LLC now owns 11,443 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $466,000 after buying an additional 851 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 10,297,784 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $419,429,000 after buying an additional 307,658 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $393,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 16.3% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 157,849 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $6,429,000 after acquiring an additional 22,112 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $40.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $41.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $198.05 billion, a PE ratio of 11.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.33.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is currently 68.15%.

About Verizon Communications

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.