Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Raised to $50.00

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $48.00 to $50.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective points to a potential upside of 8.38% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. William Blair raised shares of Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. Barclays began coverage on Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $48.89.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of VZ stock traded up $1.53 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $46.14. The stock had a trading volume of 15,424,734 shares, compared to its average volume of 34,657,809. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $40.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.60. The firm has a market cap of $194.53 billion, a PE ratio of 11.36, a PEG ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Verizon Communications has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $47.35.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The business had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.10 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after buying an additional 5,497,598 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after purchasing an additional 7,276,809 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 1.1% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 100,326,792 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,322,700,000 after acquiring an additional 1,101,504 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,504,150,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 45,265,695 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,989,427,000 after purchasing an additional 557,576 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat Wall Street on both EPS and revenue, and Verizon reported “massive” wireless subscriber additions in Q4 — evidence of improving top-line momentum that supports earnings and free cash flow expectations. Verizon (VZ) Posts Massive Wireless Subscriber Additions in Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Management refreshed the turnaround story around the Frontier deal and flagged cost cuts plus a large share-repurchase program (reported ~$25B), improving shareholder-return prospects and valuation support. Verizon Resets Story With Frontier Deal Cost Cuts And $25b Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon raised its quarterly dividend (to $0.7075) — a ~2.5% increase and a ~6.4% yield — making the stock more attractive to income-focused investors. Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokers lifted price targets (Evercore to $50.00, Scotiabank to $50.25, Morgan Stanley to $49.00), signaling renewed analyst confidence and creating upside narrative for investors. Scotiabank PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are discussing Verizon’s valuation after the Q4 beat and buyback plans; the stock looks cheaper on forward P/E but investors will watch execution. Valuation After Q4 Beat
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is trading largely in line with the S&P 500 Communications index, so sector flows are also influencing the move. Shares Move With S&P 500 Communications Index
• Negative Sentiment: Reporting indicates price changes have cost Verizon some customers and management acknowledged the impact — a reminder that churn/ARPU dynamics remain a risk to growth. Verizon’s CEO Admits Price Moves Lost Customers
• Negative Sentiment: Not all analyst moves were bullish: Wells Fargo trimmed its PT to $44 (equal-weight), signaling at least one cautious view on near-term upside. Wells Fargo PT Change
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary raises technical/cycle questions about whether current price levels will meet resistance after recent gains. Is This The Top For Verizon?

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.