Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $51.67 and last traded at $51.4250, with a volume of 4116165 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $50.58.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals and momentum: analysts and commentators point to Verizon’s better‑than‑expected Q4 (best postpaid phone net adds in years), strong 5G demand, improved free cash flow and a $25 billion buyback program as catalysts that can push the stock higher. Verizon Communications Stock Is Soaring in 2026. Here’s Why It Can Still Go Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Income/defensive appeal: multiple income‑focused writeups highlight VZ’s ~5.5% yield, 20‑year streak of dividend increases and institutional inflows — positioning Verizon as a safe, high‑yield play in a choppy market. 5 High-Yield Stocks to Shield Your Portfolio From the Storm (VZ)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism: a recent price target raise to $55 suggests some buy‑side upside remains, supporting near‑term bullish sentiment. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Raised to $55.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/marketing push: Verizon announced FIFA World Cup 2026 customer promotions (ticket sweepstakes and experiences) that can help drive engagement and ARPU modestly but are unlikely to materially move near‑term revenue. *MEDIA ALERT* All the ways Verizon customers can win free tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ this spring
• Negative Sentiment: Business segment pressure: recent analyst pieces flag a dip in Verizon’s business segment revenues, rising costs and fiercer enterprise competition — which could limit margin expansion and slow growth if enterprise/5G monetization lags expectations. Can Verizon’s Business Segment Portfolio Generate Future Profit?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on VZ. Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Evercore upped their target price 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. One research 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 company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.32.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.7%

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 firm has a market cap of $216.89 billion, a PE ratio of 12.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.30. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $46.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.07.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $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. Analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. 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 at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $113,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its position in 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 during the period. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake 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 buying an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC raised its stake 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 buying an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $399,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.