FY2026 Earnings Estimate for VZ Issued By Erste Group Bank

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Verizon Communications in a note issued to investors on Monday, July 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the cell phone carrier will post earnings per share of $4.99 for the year, up from their prior forecast of $4.97. Erste Group Bank has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Verizon Communications’ current full-year earnings is $5.04 per share.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on VZ. Moffett Nathanson lowered their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.84.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $48.23 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $201.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.26. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $45.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.35. Verizon Communications has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The business had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,357,158,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 15.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,117,471,000 after purchasing an additional 8,289,877 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 31.2% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,286,423,000 after purchasing an additional 7,509,055 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the fourth 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 period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the fourth 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 buying an additional 5,851,715 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s second-quarter performance showed improving wireless subscriber growth, lower churn, reduced promotional costs, stronger broadband additions, and robust cash flow. Management raised its 2026 financial and free-cash-flow outlook, strengthening the investment case for earnings growth and dividend coverage. VZ Q2 Earnings Call Signals Faster Growth From Churn Gains
• Positive Sentiment: A more than $1 billion dark-fiber agreement with Alphabet, along with Verizon’s AI Connect initiative, could provide a new source of revenue from AI infrastructure and connectivity. Management expects more meaningful revenue and margin contributions beginning next year. Verizon May Be an AI Infrastructure Stock Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: At least six analysts raised their price targets following the earnings update. TD Cowen increased its target to $56 and kept a Buy rating, while Scotiabank raised its target to $52.50 and maintained Sector Outperform. The improved outlook has also prompted a bullish rating upgrade from Seeking Alpha. VZ Stock Is Up 22% This Year
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expanding 5G, fiber, converged services, and AI connectivity to diversify beyond traditional wireless. These investments could support long-term growth, but their returns depend on successful execution and continued demand. How Verizon is Positioning Itself for the Next Wave of AI Connectivity
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts still see limited upside at the current level. Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Barclays, and RBC retained Equal Weight or Sector Perform ratings, with targets ranging from $46 to $52. Competitive pressure and the need to sustain subscriber momentum remain key risks.

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.