Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Shares Up 3.9% – What’s Next?

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) traded up 3.9% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $46.86 and last traded at $46.8030. 25,561,125 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 19% from the average session volume of 31,433,633 shares. The stock had previously closed at $45.03.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon was named the Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor for FIFA World Cup 2026, with the company supplying 5G, Fixed Wireless Access and broadcast solutions to power immersive fan experiences — a high‑profile showcase that could help win new enterprise and consumer deals and highlight 5G/fiber monetization opportunities. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and investor write-ups highlight durable cash flow, attractive dividend yield and a new $25B buyback authorization through 2028 — factors that support shareholder returns and make the stock appealing on income/total‑return metrics. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Additional bullish takes note Verizon’s resilient cash flow and stable valuation vs. peers, reinforcing the buy case for income-focused investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an “Equal Weight” rating and $49 price target (roughly mid‑single‑digit upside from current levels) — a formal coverage start that adds institutional visibility but is not an outright bullish upgrade.
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC Capital reiterated its Hold rating, maintaining a conservative stance that keeps some analyst expectations in check. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparisons (Verizon vs. Charter) and vendor ecosystem news (Alarm.com adding Verizon LTE support) were reported — useful context on competitive positioning and partner adoption but unlikely to move the stock materially by themselves. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Alarm.com’s product updates noting Verizon LTE support underscore ecosystem demand for Verizon connectivity but are incremental at best. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 3.9%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $195.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.29. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $49.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.66.

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. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is currently 69.88%.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $15,453,058,000 after purchasing an additional 5,497,598 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake 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 worth $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,168,080,000 after purchasing an additional 867,694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,357,158,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

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.