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

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the topic of several research reports. Dbs Bank cut Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target 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. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.03.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

NYSE VZ opened at $43.91 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $45.39 and its 200 day moving average is $46.20. Verizon Communications has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. 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 company has a market capitalization of $183.36 billion, a PE ratio of 10.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.26.

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 return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

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

Key Stories 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

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,759,000 after purchasing an additional 16,704 shares in the last quarter. Redwood Park Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 222.9% during the 4th quarter. Redwood Park Advisors LLC now owns 2,790 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 1,926 shares in the last quarter. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $129,000. Advocate Investing Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $190,000. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $108,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.