Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Shares Up 1.3% After Analyst Upgrade

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)’s share price traded up 1.3% on Monday after Citigroup raised their price target on the stock from $50.00 to $55.00. Citigroup currently has a buy rating on the stock. Verizon Communications traded as high as $50.75 and last traded at $50.6530. 26,275,336 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 21% from the average session volume of 33,098,398 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.98.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on VZ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Barclays began coverage on Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price target for the company. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.32.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat highlights Verizon as a momentum + income leader — cites Q4 subscriber gains, 5.5% yield, $25B buyback and strong institutional inflows as reasons investors are rotating into VZ. 5 High-Yield Stocks to Shield Your Portfolio From the Storm
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price?target increase: a published note raised VZ’s target to $55.00 — a direct catalyst that can lift sentiment and buy ratings. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Raised to $55.00
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage/upgrades: another note reported Verizon trading higher after an analyst upgrade — short?term buying and coverage changes are supporting the rally. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Trading 1.2% Higher After Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/high?yield narratives (247WallSt): in a market where rate?cut hopes are fading, analysts push high?yield “safety” plays — a backdrop that supports demand for VZ’s 5%+ dividend. Interest Rate Cut Hopes Are Over: Buy These Safe 5% High Yield Kings Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer marketing: Verizon announced multiple promotions giving customers chances to win FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets — positive for brand/engagement but limited near?term revenue impact. All the ways Verizon customers can win free tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ this spring
• Neutral Sentiment: General high?yield lists (The Motley Fool, MarketBeat themes): several income?focused lists include or reference Verizon as a dividend option — supports investor interest but is a thematic rather than company?specific earnings catalyst. 3 High-Yield Stocks That Could Help Set You Up for Life
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks flags business?segment pressure: business revenues have dipped amid rising costs and competition; while new 5G and enterprise solutions could help, execution risk leaves near?term margins and growth under scrutiny. Can Verizon’s Business Segment Portfolio Generate Future Profit?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: coverage of Lumen’s strengthening NaaS/PCF and fiber deals signals rising enterprise competition — could pressure Verizon’s enterprise growth and pricing over time. Is Momentum in NaaS and PCF Strengthening Lumen’s Growth Prospects?

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,357,158,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 31.2% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,286,423,000 after purchasing an additional 7,509,055 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after buying an additional 5,851,715 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the 4th 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 period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $46.39 and its 200 day moving average is $43.03. The firm has a market cap of $213.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.51, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.31.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 69.88%.

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.