FY2026 Earnings Forecast for VZ Issued By Erste Group Bank

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) – Research analysts at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2026 earnings estimates for Verizon Communications in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, July 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the cell phone carrier will earn $4.97 per share 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.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released 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. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on VZ. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. 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 report on Thursday, April 30th. Scotiabank lowered their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.09.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 2.4%

NYSE:VZ opened at $43.84 on Friday. Verizon Communications has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $183.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $45.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.09.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,834 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares during the last quarter. Bank & Trust Co lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 47,798 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $2,024,000 after buying an additional 739 shares during the last quarter. Butensky & Cohen Financial Security Inc. lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Butensky & Cohen Financial Security Inc. now owns 122,165 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $5,172,000 after buying an additional 2,087 shares during the last quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 11.6% in the second quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 42,340 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,793,000 after buying an additional 4,413 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tema ETFs LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 10.7% in the second quarter. Tema ETFs LLC now owns 82,352 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,487,000 after acquiring an additional 7,975 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Key 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.