Citigroup Issues Positive Forecast for Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price objective increased by research analysts at Citigroup from $48.00 to $50.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,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 8.38% from the stock’s current price.

VZ has been the topic of several other reports. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $48.89.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 3.4%

Shares of NYSE:VZ traded up $1.53 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $46.14. 15,424,734 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 34,657,809. Verizon Communications has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $47.35. 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 cap of $194.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.36, a P/E/G ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 0.33. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $40.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.60.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. The company’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. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cadinha & Co. LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2,916.8% in 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 period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.0% during the second quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 7,297,469 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $309,551,000 after purchasing an additional 722,559 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 378.7% in 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. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 555,785 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $24,427,000 after buying an additional 43,116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.8% in the third quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 2,762,705 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $121,421,000 after acquiring an additional 151,100 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat Wall Street on both EPS and revenue, and Verizon reported “massive” wireless subscriber additions in Q4 — evidence of improving top-line momentum that supports earnings and free cash flow expectations. Verizon (VZ) Posts Massive Wireless Subscriber Additions in Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Management refreshed the turnaround story around the Frontier deal and flagged cost cuts plus a large share-repurchase program (reported ~$25B), improving shareholder-return prospects and valuation support. Verizon Resets Story With Frontier Deal Cost Cuts And $25b Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon raised its quarterly dividend (to $0.7075) — a ~2.5% increase and a ~6.4% yield — making the stock more attractive to income-focused investors. Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokers lifted price targets (Evercore to $50.00, Scotiabank to $50.25, Morgan Stanley to $49.00), signaling renewed analyst confidence and creating upside narrative for investors. Scotiabank PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are discussing Verizon’s valuation after the Q4 beat and buyback plans; the stock looks cheaper on forward P/E but investors will watch execution. Valuation After Q4 Beat
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is trading largely in line with the S&P 500 Communications index, so sector flows are also influencing the move. Shares Move With S&P 500 Communications Index
• Negative Sentiment: Reporting indicates price changes have cost Verizon some customers and management acknowledged the impact — a reminder that churn/ARPU dynamics remain a risk to growth. Verizon’s CEO Admits Price Moves Lost Customers
• Negative Sentiment: Not all analyst moves were bullish: Wells Fargo trimmed its PT to $44 (equal-weight), signaling at least one cautious view on near-term upside. Wells Fargo PT Change
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary raises technical/cycle questions about whether current price levels will meet resistance after recent gains. Is This The Top For Verizon?

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.