Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Gets Price Target Cut from Scotiabank

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price target cut by Scotiabank from $51.50 to $50.00 in a research note published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a sector outperform rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.80.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $41.72 on Friday. Verizon Communications has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $173.33 billion, a PE ratio of 10.86, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $48.18 and its 200-day moving average is $47.04.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 5.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.8%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.70%.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.75, for a total value of $50,325.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 102,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,674,094.50. This trade represents a 1.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,700 shares of company stock worth $372,922. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. USS Investment Management Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.6% during the first quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $35,790,000 after acquiring an additional 31,354 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the second quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc. now owns 317,284 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $13,434,000 after purchasing an additional 25,156 shares during the period. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 127.0% during the second quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 184,170 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $7,798,000 after purchasing an additional 103,046 shares during the period. CPC Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 76.4% in the 1st quarter. CPC Advisors LLC now owns 123,287 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $6,189,000 after purchasing an additional 53,405 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ now owns 2,450,129 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $122,996,000 after purchasing an additional 73,159 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank lowered its Verizon price target to $50 from $51.50 but maintained a “sector outperform” rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent levels. Scotiabank Cuts Verizon Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s quarterly dividend remains $0.7075 per share, or $2.83 annualized, producing an approximately 6% yield. Its latest reported earnings also exceeded analyst expectations, although revenue was below consensus.
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s next earnings report is expected on October 26. Investors will focus on wireless service revenue, subscriber additions, broadband growth and management’s response to emerging satellite-based competition. Verizon Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX agreed to acquire a nationwide portfolio of low-band 800 MHz spectrum from Grain Management. The deal could allow Starlink Mobile to combine satellite coverage with terrestrial wireless service, creating a more direct competitor to Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. SpaceX Network Plans Pressure Telecom Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: The FCC’s authorization for SpaceX to launch as many as 15,000 direct-to-phone satellites, combined with Elon Musk’s claims of sharply higher bandwidth, increased investor concerns that Verizon’s network advantage could weaken over time. Starlink Mobile Bandwidth Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank’s target reduction and broader analyst commentary point to higher disruption risk, while Verizon’s debt load and intense wireless competition remain additional concerns. CEO Kyle Malady’s small, pre-arranged sale of 1,100 shares is a minor negative signal but is unlikely to be the primary driver.

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company headquartered in New York City and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VZ. The company was formed in 2000 through the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE and has developed into one of the largest communications providers in the United States.

Verizon’s consumer business provides wireless voice and data services, smartphones and other connected devices, home internet, broadband, and related communications products.