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

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $49.0156.

A number of brokerages recently commented on VZ. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Citigroup upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, William Blair raised shares of Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 1.2%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $49.26 on Thursday. Verizon Communications has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $50.47. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $42.96 and its 200-day moving average is $42.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $207.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.16, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.33.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released 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 net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. 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, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given 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 5.7%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.15%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 335,856 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $14,761,000 after buying an additional 13,787 shares in the last quarter. Cadinha & Co. LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2,916.8% during the 2nd quarter. Cadinha & Co. LLC now owns 347,716 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $15,046,000 after acquiring an additional 336,190 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 14.0% in the 3rd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 379,174 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $16,665,000 after buying an additional 46,699 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 18.4% in the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 140,981 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $6,196,000 after acquiring an additional 21,915 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 378.7% during the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 93,732 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,120,000 after buying an additional 74,151 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Aduna announced it has CAMARA-compliant nationwide network API agreements with U.S. carriers — including backing from Verizon — which could expand Verizon’s channel for selling network intelligence services and strengthen enterprise/wholesale revenue prospects. Aduna Reaches Milestone as a Leading Provider of U.S. Network APIs
• Positive Sentiment: Management will speak at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference on March 2 — a live investor forum where Verizon can provide updated guidance, 5G/commercial progress, or capital allocation signals that can move the stock on any new detail. Verizon to speak at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 2
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst write-ups and momentum pieces have nudged fair-value models slightly higher and highlighted Verizon’s improving 2026 estimates and dividend appeal, supporting investor interest after a strong month of gains. How The Verizon Communications (VZ) Investment Narrative Is Shifting As Analysts Rework Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s presentation transcript from the Barclays Communications & Content Symposium provides operational detail but contained no headline surprises — useful for investors but not an immediate catalyst. Verizon Presents at Barclays Symposium (Transcript)
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage (Zacks, Forbes, 247WallSt) continues to profile Verizon as a momentum/dividend pick; these stories reinforce retail interest but are incremental rather than market-moving. Buy Or Sell Verizon Stock At $50?
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose sharply in February — up ~34.8% to ~148.3M shares (≈3.5% of float) — increasing potential downward pressure and volatility if bearish sentiment persists or if additional catalysts emerge. (Short-interest data reported 2/13/26)
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/regulatory risk is active: an amici brief asking the Supreme Court to require jury trials in FCC enforcement cases keeps potential fines and compliance exposure in play; outcomes could materially affect future regulatory penalties or timelines. NCLA Asks Supreme Court to Safeguard Jury Trial Rights in FCC Penalty Enforcement Cases

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.