Erste Group Bank Has Bullish Estimate for VZ FY2027 Earnings

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) – Equities researchers at Erste Group Bank increased their FY2027 earnings estimates for Verizon Communications in a note issued to investors on Thursday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the cell phone carrier will post earnings per share of $5.28 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $5.27. Erste Group Bank has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Verizon Communications’ current full-year earnings is $4.69 per share.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on VZ. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. William Blair raised shares of Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $47.98 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $49.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $43.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $202.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.85, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 8.6% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $113,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,426,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

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

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 68.15%.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: High, rising dividend and yield support income buying — outlets note Verizon’s >5% yield and that the company continues to raise payouts, which attracts yield-focused investors and underpins downside. These Companies Pay 5% Dividend Yields, and They’re Hiking Them Too
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic actions (CEO cost cuts, $25B buyback authorization, Frontier acquisition expanding fiber) and guidance for rising free cash flow are cited as medium-term catalysts that support upside once macro sentiment stabilizes. The War Won’t Last Forever: 3 Stocks That Could Lead the Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimate tweak: Erste Group nudged FY2027 EPS forecasts slightly higher and maintains a bullish stance, a vote of confidence that can help sentiment among value investors and long-term holders.
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation / pullback analysis: Several outlets weigh whether the recent week/month pullback creates a buying opportunity given multi-year gains and a lower relative price — useful context for value-oriented traders deciding entry points. Is Verizon Communications (VZ) Offering An Opportunity After Recent Share Price Pullback?
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/marketing ruling: The National Advertising Division found Verizon’s disclosures around a promotional price increase to be adequate — removes a small regulatory/PR overhang but is unlikely to move the stock materially. In Fast-Track SWIFT Challenge, National Advertising Division Finds Verizon Wireless Pricing Disclosures Adequate
• Negative Sentiment: DBS Bank downgrade (Buy → Hold, $52 PT) signals some sell-side skepticism that the rally has priced in much of the near-term upside; such downgrades can prompt profit-taking. Verizon Cut to Hold at DBS Bank: Is the Telecom Giant Running Out of Upside?
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder proposals on board structure, climate oversight and ESG/DEI-linked pay have drawn proxy advisory scrutiny — governance fights can increase volatility and complicate investor sentiment into the AGM. Verizon Shareholder Push Raises Questions On Governance Climate Oversight And Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend durability debate: comparative pieces flag nuance versus peers (e.g., AT&T) and discuss potential pressures — the debate can unsettle some income investors and create selling pressure if concerns spread. Verizon vs. AT&T: One Telecom Dividend Is on Shaky Ground

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.