Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Earns Equal Weight Rating from Wells Fargo & Company

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating restated by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $43.00 price objective on the cell phone carrier’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target points to a potential upside of 0.99% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised 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 note on Tuesday, April 28th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.28.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.2%

VZ opened at $42.58 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $46.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $45.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $177.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.39, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.26. 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.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.82 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. The company’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. On average, research analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Avanza Fonder AB increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Avanza Fonder AB now owns 331,962 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $13,521,000 after acquiring an additional 17,495 shares during the last quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 23.5% in the 4th quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 78,172 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,184,000 after acquiring an additional 14,862 shares during the last quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $35,790,000 after acquiring an additional 31,354 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 41.0% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 2,197,366 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $89,499,000 after purchasing an additional 639,380 shares during the period. Finally, Clarity Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 697.0% during the 4th quarter. Clarity Financial LLC now owns 471,127 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $19,189,000 after purchasing an additional 412,018 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s broadband gains, AI-related initiatives, and broader convergence strategy are being cited as supports for long-term growth, which could help the stock if execution improves. Verizon Stock Underperforms Industry in a Year: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Positive Sentiment: A new BT joint venture in international enterprise operations and recent spectrum wins add to Verizon’s growth narrative, suggesting the market may be overlooking some strategic upside. Is Verizon Communications (VZ) Below Fair Value As The BT Joint Venture Raises Fresh Questions?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary says telecom risk from Starlink “feels overdone” for now, which may ease some investor concern around competitive pressure on wireless carriers. SpaceX Risk to Telecom Sector ‘Feels Overdone,’ for Now, Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s dividend profile continues to appeal to income investors, with recent articles again highlighting it as a high-yield, long-term holding. 2 Monster Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage comparing Verizon with peers suggests the company’s recent earnings and operating trends are being judged against a much stronger industry backdrop, but this is mainly a valuation/performance review rather than a new catalyst. Q1 Earnings Highs And Lows: Verizon (NYSE:VZ) Vs The Rest Of The Consumer Discretionary – Wireless, Cable and Satellite Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles noting Verizon has lagged the broader wireless sector over the past year may keep sentiment cautious, but they mostly reflect past underperformance rather than a fresh operational setback. Verizon Stock Underperforms Industry in a Year: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have recently eased, and one market update said VZ closed lower in the latest session, reinforcing the view that investors remain cautious despite the company’s strategic announcements. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Broader telecom and tech headlines about rising competition and AI-related market volatility may also be weighing on sentiment toward wireless stocks like Verizon. Nasdaq down as chip stocks sell off after Samsung earnings

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.