Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 4.900-4.950 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 4.790. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VZ. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $41.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.50 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $47.43.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ traded up $4.71 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $44.52. The stock had a trading volume of 105,555,285 shares, compared to its average volume of 32,992,414. Verizon Communications has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $47.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The company’s 50-day moving average is $40.25 and its 200 day moving average is $41.55. The company has a market capitalization of $187.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.34.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.31% and a net margin of 14.43%.The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue 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, equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.69 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. This represents a $2.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 58.97%.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: VZ beat Q4 estimates on both EPS and revenue and gave bullish 2026 profit & FCF guidance, which is the main catalyst lifting the stock as investors favor earnings beats and clearer growth visibility. Reuters: Verizon forecasts upbeat annual profit
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon reported its highest quarterly wireless subscriber additions since 2019 (strong postpaid net adds and broadband/fiber densification drove revenue growth), supporting the upbeat guidance and giving investors confidence in customer momentum. GlobeNewswire: Verizon delivers on 2025 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Market and press coverage highlights the beat + subscriber strength, which amplifies buying interest from income and value investors given VZ’s high dividend yield. ProactiveInvestors: Verizon beats Q4 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed heavy call buying (well above average daily volume), signaling that some traders are positioning for further upside after the print. (Market options data entry)
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon emphasized network resilience (mobile assets, backup power, crisis teams) for winter storms — a credit to reliability that can support retention and long-term ARPU improvements. Zacks: VZ enhances network resilience
• Neutral Sentiment: The full Q4 earnings call transcript and slide deck provide detail on margin dynamics, expense drivers (including fiber build costs) and capital allocation — useful for investors modelling 2026. Seeking Alpha: Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Macroeconomic/newsflow items (e.g., a new Fed Chair appointment) are moving markets broadly today and may be amplifying volatility; these are directional factors rather than company-specific drivers. Zacks: Pre-market in Red (Fed Chair news)
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo recently cut its price target on VZ as part of a wireless-sector reassessment, which could limit near-term upside from some institutional investors. MSN: Wells Fargo cuts Verizon target
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing debate over dividend sustainability and yield safety (coverage highlighting a ~7% yield) keeps some income investors cautious despite the beat — a potential constraint on rerating without sustained cash-flow proof. 24/7 Wall St.: Verizon dividend safety
• Negative Sentiment: Small institutional selling was reported (Alpha Cubed trimmed its stake), a minor signal but not a material shift in ownership. DefenseWorld: Alpha Cubed lessened VZ stake

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,759,000 after acquiring an additional 16,704 shares during the last quarter. United Bank raised its position in Verizon Communications by 11.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $339,000 after acquiring an additional 806 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 312.0% in the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 17,901 shares during the period. HUB Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 17.2% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,779,000 after buying an additional 6,034 shares during the period. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $389,000 after acquiring an additional 443 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

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.