Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price target increased by analysts at Citigroup from $50.00 to $55.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock. Citigroup’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 9.82% from the company’s current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings raised Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Evercore lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.32.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $50.08 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $211.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.37, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.31. Verizon Communications has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $46.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.03.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $15,453,058,000 after acquiring an additional 5,497,598 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,168,080,000 after purchasing an additional 867,694 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth $2,357,158,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on VZ to $55 and initiated/maintained a “buy” stance, signaling analyst conviction and providing upside guidance that likely supported buying interest earlier in the session. Citigroup raises VZ price target to $55
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a piece highlighting Verizon as a “strong momentum stock” using its style scores, which can attract momentum and quant-focused buyers. Here’s Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative coverage (AT&T vs. Verizon) discusses 5G and fiber growth and valuation differences — useful for investors evaluating sector allocation and relative upside but not a direct catalyst. AT&T vs. Verizon: Which Telecom Stock Has Better Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also published an AT&T vs. Verizon comparison with similar takeaways on network investment and valuation trade-offs — helpful context for longer-term positioning. AT&T vs. Verizon: Which Telecom Stock Has Better Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor-focused reviews and primers (e.g., The Motley Fool) reiterate VZ’s scale, heavy capex and leverage profile — factors that support stable cash flow and dividends but cap upside for some investors. Verizon Stock in 2026: What Every Investor Needs to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of a new dividend-focused ETF and broader yield plays is peripheral but can influence income-seeking flows into telecom stocks like VZ. You Already Own SCHD. This New ETF Pays Twice the Yield With One Simple Swap
• Negative Sentiment: UBS moved VZ to a “hold,” a more cautious stance that can temper upside and weigh on sentiment among more conservative institutional holders. Verizon (VZ) Gets a Hold from UBS
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks noted a recent intraday decline in VZ’s share price in prior sessions, a reminder that short-term volatility has been present despite recent analyst support. Verizon Communications (VZ) Declines More Than Market

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.