Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Cut to $53.00 by Analysts at Citigroup

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price objective lowered by investment analysts at Citigroup from $55.00 to $53.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday. Citigroup‘s price target points to a potential upside of 21.13% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on VZ. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Scotiabank dropped their price target on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $50.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Verizon Communications from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $55.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Moffett Nathanson decreased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 20th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.89.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock traded up $0.65 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $43.75. 9,446,300 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 27,369,229. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $47.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $181.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications has a 1-year low of $38.68 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 26th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.04. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business had revenue of $34.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.77 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.21 EPS. Verizon Communications’s revenue was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.48, for a total transaction of $48,928.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 99,966 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,446,487.68. This trade represents a 1.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 9,900 shares of company stock worth $469,073 in the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gill Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 74.6% during the second quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 620 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Robinswood Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc increased its position in Verizon Communications by 37.4% during the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 841 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the period. Balance Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 32.7% in the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong subscriber growth and cash generation support the investment case. Verizon added 406,000 postpaid phone subscribers—its best third-quarter result in five years—and 314,000 broadband customers. Third-quarter free cash flow reached $7.8 billion, while broadband revenue hit a record. Verizon: This 6% Telecom Yield Is Still On Sale
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon beat earnings expectations and raised its outlook. Adjusted third-quarter EPS was $1.31 versus the $1.27 consensus, and management increased its full-year 2026 expectations for adjusted EPS, postpaid phone additions and free cash flow. The company also signed an agreement worth more than $2 billion with Amazon Web Services to support AI infrastructure and data-center connectivity. Verizon Raises 2026 Outlook After Strong Postpaid Subscriber Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Some investors view the valuation and dividend as attractive. Commentary highlighted Verizon’s strong cash flow, dividend support and low forward earnings multiple, which could provide downside protection if the company maintains its operational momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed. TD Cowen maintained a “buy” rating while reducing its price target to $55. Morgan Stanley and Barclays also lowered their targets and retained “equal weight” ratings, reflecting uncertainty about Verizon’s growth rate. Verizon Analysts Cut Their Forecasts Following Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations, overshadowing the earnings beat. Third-quarter revenue rose 1.5% year over year to $34.31 billion, below the $34.77 billion consensus. Investors appear more focused on Verizon’s limited top-line growth and slower phone upgrades than on improved margins and subscriber additions. Verizon Analysts Cut Their Forecasts Following Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX and Starlink are emerging competitive concerns. Verizon’s CEO said satellite partnerships could complement its network but rejected allowing SpaceX to use Verizon’s infrastructure to compete directly for wireless customers. Although management believes SpaceX may be years away from becoming a major rival, the possibility adds pressure to the outlook. Verizon CEO Open to Working With Elon Musk’s Starlink

Verizon Communications Company Profile

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and digital connectivity services. Through its consumer business, Verizon offers mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and other connected devices, home internet, fixed wireless access, and fiber-optic broadband services under the Fios brand.

Verizon also serves businesses, government agencies, and other organizations with wireless connectivity, private networks, internet and data services, managed communications, cloud and security solutions, and Internet of Things services.