Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $49.0156.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on VZ shares. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Williams Trading set a $54.00 target price on Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $2,357,158,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Verizon Communications by 31.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,286,423,000 after purchasing an additional 7,509,055 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $15,453,058,000 after purchasing an additional 5,497,598 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Consumer business momentum: Postpaid phone subscriber strength remains a primary growth driver for Verizon’s consumer segment, supporting near-term revenue and EPS outlooks and helping underpin the dividend. Verizon Rides on Strength in Consumer Segment: Will it Sustain?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal: Recent dividend increases have kept income-focused investors interested in VZ versus other blue-chips, providing support to the share price despite cyclical headwinds. Verizon vs Johnson & Johnson: Which Dividend Hike Winner Is the Better Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Short-term momentum and investor attention: Several market write-ups note growing investor interest and momentum in VZ, which could attract flows while fundamentals remain stable. Verizon Momentum Builds
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor event scheduled: Verizon will present at the Barclays Communications & Content Symposium on Feb. 24 — a chance to hear management on strategy and guidance but not an immediate catalyst until new detail is provided. Verizon to speak at Barclays Communications and Content Symposium on February 24
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased investor interest noted by coverage sites — useful for liquidity and attention but not decisively bullish or bearish on fundamentals. Verizon is Attracting Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Leadership change in Consumer: Reports that the consumer CEO has exited and an interim arrangement is in place raise execution questions around Verizon’s transformation and could unsettle investors who worry about continuity. Did Verizon’s Consumer CEO Exit and Interim Shift Just Reframe Its Transformation Story
• Negative Sentiment: Capital-return ambiguity: Analysis flags uncertainty around Verizon’s $55B buyback/dividend plan, noting trade-offs between flexibility and risk that could limit future buybacks or force reassessment if cash priorities change. Uncertainty Clouds Verizon’s $55 Billion Capital Return Plan
• Negative Sentiment: Relative underperformance: MarketWatch notes Verizon underperformed peers on Wednesday, which can pressure the stock as investors rotate toward better-performing telecom/content names. Verizon underperforms competitors

Verizon Communications Stock Down 1.9%

VZ stock opened at $48.01 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $42.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.05. Verizon Communications has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $50.24. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $202.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.33.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications 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 yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 68.15%.

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.