Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Down 3.8% – Should You Sell?

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)’s share price traded down 3.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $44.30 and last traded at $44.8740. Approximately 32,790,719 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 15% from the average session volume of 28,514,342 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.65.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, reinforcing its reputation as a high-yield income stock and signaling stable cash returns to shareholders. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on June 4, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary noted Verizon has outperformed over the past several months on the back of subscriber gains, broadband growth, and AI-related initiatives, which may support the stock’s longer-term narrative. VZ Shares Rise 8.6% in Six Months: What’s the Next Move for Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market pieces focused on Verizon’s valuation and dividend appeal, with some arguing the stock is still compelling for income investors while others question whether the upside is limited. Forget Wall Street’s Ultimate Telecom Value Trap and Buy the Real Free Cash Flow King
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s debt tender and exchange offers, along with broader capital-priority discussion, suggest management is actively managing leverage and liquidity, but the move is not an immediate fundamental catalyst. Do Verizon (VZ) Debt Tenders and Dividend Steadiness Hint at a Shifting Capital Priorities Playbook?
• Negative Sentiment: The Supreme Court’s decision in the FCC dispute increases Verizon’s regulatory risk and could lead to continued fines or enforcement actions, weighing on investor sentiment. US Supreme Court backs FCC in clash with wireless carriers over fines
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from Starlink and concerns about Verizon’s store/customer backlash have widened skepticism about the company’s growth outlook and valuation. Verizon Confronts Store Backlash And Starlink Threat As Valuation Gap Widens

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VZ. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $47.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $189.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.07, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.24.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications’s revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 69.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its position in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

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.