Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Shares Down 1.3% – Here’s Why

08 Apr 2026, 21:16 by Michael Walen · The Markets Daily

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report)’s share price was down 1.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $47.12 and last traded at $47.9830. Approximately 33,508,687 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 6% from the average daily volume of 31,684,529 shares. The stock had previously closed at $48.62.

More Verizon Communications News

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

Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights VZ as a top-ranked value stock, reinforcing the idea that the shares look cheap on style/value metrics and may attract income/value investors. Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top-Ranked Value Stock: Should You Buy?
Positive Sentiment: BBB National Programs’ NAD found Verizon’s pricing disclosures for its “four lines for $25/line” offer adequate, removing an advertising/competitive overhang and reducing legal/PR risk around that promotion. In Fast-Track SWIFT Challenge, National Advertising Division Finds Verizon Wireless Pricing Disclosures Adequate
Positive Sentiment: Analyst note: Erste Group nudged its FY2027 EPS estimate slightly higher and maintains a Strong-Buy stance, supportive for fundamentals expectations (minor near-term impact but positive signal on earnings trajectory).
Neutral Sentiment: Dividend narrative remains nuanced versus AT&T — 247WallStreet says the dividend story isn’t just headline yields, suggesting investors should weigh payout coverage and growth prospects rather than yield alone. Verizon vs. AT&T: One Telecom Dividend Is on Shaky Ground
Neutral Sentiment: Macro/sector pieces reiterate Verizon’s defensive dividend and buyback story (large yield, cash flow and a $25B buyback program), which supports longer-term income-focused demand but may not offset short-term sentiment swings.
Neutral Sentiment: Old asset note: Apollo-backed Yahoo refinancing news is tangential to Verizon (Yahoo was sold by Verizon in 2021) and unlikely to move VZ shares materially. Apollo-backed Yahoo kicks off refinancing talks
Negative Sentiment: DBS Bank downgraded VZ from Buy to Hold and set a $52 price target, signaling that some analysts view the recent run-up as leaving limited near-term upside — this kind of downgrade can pressure momentum investors. Verizon Cut to Hold at DBS Bank: Is the Telecom Giant Running Out of Upside?
Negative Sentiment: Three shareholder proposals were filed targeting board structure, climate oversight and use of ESG/DEI metrics in pay; Verizon urged investors to vote against them, but the proposals and proxy advisory attention raise governance and proxy-season uncertainty that can weigh on valuation. Verizon Shareholder Push Raises Questions On Governance Climate Oversight And Valuation

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on VZ. Erste Group Bank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.56.

Check Out Our Latest Report on VZ

Verizon Communications Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $202.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.85, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $48.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $43.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) 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 analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.88%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the 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 transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the period. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Verizon Communications

(Get Free Report)

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.