Erste Group Bank Analysts Increase Earnings Estimates for VZ

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) – Equities researchers at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Verizon Communications in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, July 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the cell phone carrier will post earnings per share of $4.97 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $4.96. Erste Group Bank currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Verizon Communications’ current full-year earnings is $4.98 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Verizon Communications’ FY2027 earnings at $5.23 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also commented on VZ. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.09.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 2.4%

VZ opened at $43.84 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $183.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $45.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $46.09. Verizon Communications has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68.

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

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $15,453,058,000 after acquiring an additional 5,497,598 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,168,080,000 after purchasing an additional 867,694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 15.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,117,471,000 after purchasing an additional 8,289,877 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon announced a major restructuring plan that includes selling 274 company-owned stores and cutting about 3,000 jobs, a move investors may see as a way to reduce costs and improve margins. US wireless carrier Verizon to sell 274 stores, lay off another 500 corporate employees
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst updates were constructive, with KeyCorp raising multiple earnings estimates for Verizon and Scotiabank maintaining a sector-outperform view even after trimming its price target, which can support investor confidence. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Lowered to $51.50 at Scotiabank
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expected to report earnings on Friday, and investors are positioning around the print as the company tries to show that its restructuring and broadband expansion can support future growth. Verizon Communications (VZ) to Post Earnings on Friday
• Neutral Sentiment: JD Power said wireless network quality reached a record high, which is broadly favorable for Verizon’s industry position, though the article did not single out a direct company-specific catalyst. Wireless Network Quality Returns to Record High, JD Power Finds
• Negative Sentiment: The restructuring also includes layoffs and store divestitures, which can signal pressure on the business and may raise concerns about demand, execution, or near-term disruption. Verizon to Cut About 3,000 Jobs, Divest Itself of Some Retail Stores

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.