Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Royal Bank Of Canada Analyst Says

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price objective boosted by Royal Bank Of Canada from $44.00 to $48.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “sector perform” rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s target price indicates a potential upside of 2.19% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on VZ. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.02.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of VZ opened at $46.97 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $198.05 billion, a PE ratio of 11.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.33. Verizon Communications has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $47.55.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Advantage Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 549.5% during the second quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 591 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the 3rd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% during the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and subscriber strength — Verizon posted a fourth‑quarter earnings and revenue beat and reported sizable wireless subscriber additions, which underpins near‑term revenue momentum and investor confidence. InsiderMonkey Q4/Subscriber Adds
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — multiple firms have raised price targets or ratings (Citigroup to $50 buy, Evercore/Scotiabank, JPMorgan raised) supporting upside expectations and helping buying interest. Citigroup PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and cost actions — management is executing cost savings, pursuing a $25B buyback program and recently increased the quarterly dividend, all of which bolster EPS and free‑cash‑flow outlook for 2026. Seeking Alpha: Momentum & Buyback
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage parsing valuation — pieces from Zacks and others are discussing whether the Q4 beat and yield justify repositioning into VZ; useful background but not an immediate catalyst. Zacks Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/flow influence — some of today’s move reflects the S&P 500 Communications Index and sector flows rather than pure company‑specific news. Kalkine Media
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reputational risk — Senator Maria Cantwell said Verizon (and AT&T) are blocking release of Salt Typhoon security assessment reports and requested CEOs testify before Congress, creating potential regulatory scrutiny and reputational risk. Reuters: Senator on Salt Typhoon
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/competitive escalation — Verizon filed a suit accusing T‑Mobile of false advertising over savings claims; this could intensify competitive spending on promotions and trigger legal costs or a public dispute. Reuters: Verizon sues T‑Mobile
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and margin concerns — an EVP disclosed a sizable share sale and analysts warn that heavy 5G/fiber investment, price‑lock dynamics and margin pressure could limit multiple expansion. SEC Form 4: Russo Sale

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.