Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Raised to $50.25

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price objective hoisted by Scotiabank from $48.00 to $50.25 in a research report released on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Scotiabank currently has a sector perform rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on VZ. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. BNP Paribas Exane lowered Verizon Communications from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $44.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $49.02.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE VZ opened at $46.97 on Monday. Verizon Communications has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $47.55. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $40.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $41.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $198.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.60, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.33.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 68.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 13.7% in the fourth quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 22,392 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $912,000 after purchasing an additional 2,696 shares during the period. Biltmore Family Office LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Biltmore Family Office LLC now owns 11,443 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $466,000 after buying an additional 851 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 10,297,784 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $419,429,000 after acquiring an additional 307,658 shares during the period. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $393,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 16.3% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 157,849 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $6,429,000 after acquiring an additional 22,112 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and subscriber strength — Verizon posted a fourth‑quarter earnings and revenue beat and reported sizable wireless subscriber additions, which underpins near‑term revenue momentum and investor confidence. InsiderMonkey Q4/Subscriber Adds
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — multiple firms have raised price targets or ratings (Citigroup to $50 buy, Evercore/Scotiabank, JPMorgan raised) supporting upside expectations and helping buying interest. Citigroup PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and cost actions — management is executing cost savings, pursuing a $25B buyback program and recently increased the quarterly dividend, all of which bolster EPS and free‑cash‑flow outlook for 2026. Seeking Alpha: Momentum & Buyback
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage parsing valuation — pieces from Zacks and others are discussing whether the Q4 beat and yield justify repositioning into VZ; useful background but not an immediate catalyst. Zacks Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/flow influence — some of today’s move reflects the S&P 500 Communications Index and sector flows rather than pure company‑specific news. Kalkine Media
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reputational risk — Senator Maria Cantwell said Verizon (and AT&T) are blocking release of Salt Typhoon security assessment reports and requested CEOs testify before Congress, creating potential regulatory scrutiny and reputational risk. Reuters: Senator on Salt Typhoon
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/competitive escalation — Verizon filed a suit accusing T‑Mobile of false advertising over savings claims; this could intensify competitive spending on promotions and trigger legal costs or a public dispute. Reuters: Verizon sues T‑Mobile
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and margin concerns — an EVP disclosed a sizable share sale and analysts warn that heavy 5G/fiber investment, price‑lock dynamics and margin pressure could limit multiple expansion. SEC Form 4: Russo Sale

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.