Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Raised to $56.00

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its target price boosted by TD Cowen from $54.00 to $56.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock. TD Cowen’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 18.40% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on VZ. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.97.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ stock traded up $0.92 on Monday, hitting $47.30. The company had a trading volume of 13,393,092 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,090,635. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Verizon Communications has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The stock has a market cap of $197.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.26. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $45.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.24.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VZ. Norges Bank bought a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,357,158,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 15.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,117,471,000 after acquiring an additional 8,289,877 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 31.2% during the 4th 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 acquiring an additional 7,509,055 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after acquiring an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during 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 acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon raised its 2026 outlook after reporting lower customer churn, reduced device-subsidy costs, broadband growth and AI-related fiber deals. Management indicated these trends could support faster earnings and cash-flow growth. VZ Q2 Earnings Call Signals Faster Growth From Churn Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted earnings per share beat analysts’ expectations, and the company’s improved guidance reinforced the view that cost controls and operational improvements are offsetting some industry pressure. Verizon Communications Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its price target to $52.50 and maintained a “sector outperform” rating, suggesting meaningful potential upside based on Verizon’s improving churn and growth initiatives. Scotiabank Verizon Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon continues to attract attention from income-oriented investors because of its substantial dividend and defensive telecommunications business model. Dividend Stocks Retirees Are Using to Replace a Paycheck
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada, Wells Fargo and Barclays each raised their price targets, but all retained neutral “sector perform” or “equal weight” ratings. Their revised targets remain around the current trading range, limiting the overall bullish signal. Analyst Price Target Revisions
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis argued that Verizon’s structural challenges persist: quarterly revenue declined, competition is intensifying from satellite providers such as Starlink, and the company carries substantial debt while maintaining large dividend and buyback commitments. These concerns could constrain long-term growth and financial flexibility. Verizon: Structural Problems Persist

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.