Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Scotiabank Analyst Says

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price objective lifted by stock analysts at Scotiabank from $48.00 to $50.25 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “sector perform” rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock. Scotiabank’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 13.46% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Verizon Communications from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $44.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their target price on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $47.73.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:VZ traded down $0.23 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $44.29. The company had a trading volume of 18,029,647 shares, compared to its average volume of 33,414,324. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. Verizon Communications has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $47.35. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $40.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $41.58. The stock has a market cap of $186.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.94, a PEG ratio of 4.15 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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The business had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. The firm’s 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, analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hudock Inc. lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 39,842 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,724,000 after acquiring an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.9% in the third quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 8,571 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $355,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% in the third quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 71,541 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,144,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Camden National Bank boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 4.6% during the second quarter. Camden National Bank now owns 5,666 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FRG Family Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 1.8% in the second quarter. FRG Family Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 14,517 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $628,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon reported a Q4 earnings beat (EPS $1.09 vs. ~$1.06 expected) and revenue slightly above estimates, and it set FY?2026 EPS guidance of $4.90–$4.95 — giving investors confidence in near?term earnings and cashflow. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Shares Up After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Management announced aggressive shareholder returns tied to the Frontier deal: cost cuts and a roughly $25 billion buyback plan, which supports EPS per share and is a clear catalyst for the rally. Verizon Resets Story With Frontier Deal Cost Cuts And $25b Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (2.5% increase), implying a ~6.4% yield — this makes VZ more attractive to income investors and supports valuation given the stock’s high yield.
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options volume has been recorded, signaling elevated short?term trading and speculation around the stock; this can amplify moves but is not a fundamental change. Verizon Sees Unusually High Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Former Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg joined Digi Power X as a senior advisor — notable because of his 5G leadership at Verizon, but the move is peripheral to Verizon’s operations and unlikely to materially affect VZ fundamentals. Digi Power X names former Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg as senior advisor
• Negative Sentiment: Management admitted pricing moves have driven higher churn — reports detail ~2.25 million customer losses tied to price sensitivity, which is a clear headwind for revenue growth and could pressure subscriber metrics going forward. Verizon’s CEO just admitted its price cuts cost the company customers
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts/commentary argue that buybacks alone won’t fix structural issues (customer losses and competitive pressure), so some investors remain cautious despite buybacks and dividend increases. Verizon Needs More Than A Stock Buyback

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.