Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Given New $52.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price objective raised by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $50.00 to $52.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 10.09% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on VZ. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Barclays upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Dbs Bank downgraded Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.63.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.8%

VZ traded up $0.85 during trading on Monday, reaching $47.23. The company had a trading volume of 12,881,884 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,085,561. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $46.24. The stock has a market cap of $197.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.32, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. RKL Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the first quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $268,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the period. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $113,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. increased its position in Verizon Communications by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 18,421 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $925,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,426,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

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.