Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 4.990-5.040 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 4.950. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 5.7%

NYSE VZ opened at $46.34 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $193.47 billion, a PE ratio of 12.07, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Verizon Communications has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $45.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.20.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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 issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Scotiabank dropped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.03.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon beat Q2 adjusted EPS estimates at $1.30 versus $1.27 expected, helped by record EBITDA margins and stronger cash generation. Verizon earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 guidance for adjusted EPS, mobility and broadband service revenue, and free cash flow, signaling management confidence in the outlook. Reuters guidance article
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon posted better-than-expected subscriber momentum, including 184,000 postpaid phone additions and more than 550,000 total mobility and broadband net adds, showing the core business is improving. Verizon press release
• Positive Sentiment: Free cash flow rose 24.4% and Verizon expanded its full-year buyback target to as much as $4.5 billion, both supportive of shareholder returns. Verizon press release
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon also announced a more than $1 billion dark fiber deal with Google for AI data centers, suggesting potential upside from infrastructure demand and additional AI-related contracts. Reuters Google deal article
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue came in below Wall Street expectations and was slightly lower year over year, so top-line pressure is still a concern. Verizon earnings report
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was unusually heavy, with traders buying more call options than normal, which may reflect speculative bullish positioning rather than fundamental news. GuruFocus earnings call highlights

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of VZ. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 0.7% during 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 acquiring an additional 227 shares during the period. Monetary Management Group Inc. boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. now owns 30,400 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,315,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the period. American Trust grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. American Trust now owns 8,697 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. Adams Wealth Management grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Adams Wealth Management now owns 8,324 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $339,000 after buying an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CacheTech Inc. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. CacheTech Inc. now owns 8,324 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $339,000 after buying an additional 340 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

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.