Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 4.990-5.040 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 4.950. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE:VZ opened at $43.91 on Friday. Verizon Communications has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $45.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $183.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.71, a PEG ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. The business’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. As a group, analysts forecast that Verizon Communications will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VZ has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their target price on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.03.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon reported stronger-than-expected Q2 2026 operating momentum, including record service revenue growth, robust subscriber additions, and higher free cash flow, which supports the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised full-year guidance and expanded its buyback plan to up to $4.5 billion, reinforcing confidence in earnings and capital returns. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Heading into earnings, Wall Street had been focused on whether Verizon could meet expectations for EPS of about $1.27 and revenue of $35.11 billion. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon continued its operational reset by selling stores, cutting jobs, and pushing new consumer products, which may improve efficiency but also reflects an ongoing restructuring effort. Article Title

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,759,000 after acquiring an additional 16,704 shares during the last quarter. United Bank raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.5% during the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 806 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 312.0% during the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 17,901 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 17.2% during the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,779,000 after purchasing an additional 6,034 shares during the period. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 5.2% in the second quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $389,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by 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.