Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Down 1.2% on Analyst Downgrade

09 Apr 2026, 23:40 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) shares traded down 1.2% on Tuesday after Dbs Bank downgraded the stock from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating. The stock traded as low as $48.53 and last traded at $48.5670. 21,745,463 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 31% from the average session volume of 31,670,391 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.15.

VZ has been the subject of several other reports. Scotiabank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. William Blair raised shares of Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.56.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Verizon Communications

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call buying — traders purchased ~325,956 VZ calls (roughly 300% above average), signaling aggressive bullish positioning that can drive near-term upside or reflect a big speculative bet.
Positive Sentiment: TV/market praise — Jim Cramer publicly said “Verizon’s actually got some game here,” highlighting a new CEO and momentum that can attract retail buyers. Jim Cramer Says “Verizon’s Actually Got Some Game Here”
Positive Sentiment: Analyst backing and earnings momentum — Erste Group nudged FY2027 EPS estimates higher and maintains a Strong-Buy view, and recent quarterly results beat estimates, supporting longer-term fundamentals and dividend coverage.
Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal — multiple outlets highlight Verizon’s ~5%+ yield and dividend increases, which support demand from income-focused investors and can provide a valuation floor. These Companies Pay 5% Dividend Yields and Are Raising Them Too
Neutral Sentiment: Industry / macro context — articles note Verizon as a potential leader when geopolitical-driven volatility eases; this is more thematic and longer-term than an immediate catalyst. The War Won’t Last Forever: 3 Stocks That Could Lead the Recovery
Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/marketing win — the BBB National Programs found Verizon’s pricing disclosures adequate in a T‑Mobile challenge, removing a small legal/PR overhang. National Advertising Division Finds Verizon Wireless Pricing Disclosures Adequate
Negative Sentiment: DBS downgrade to Hold with a $52 target — DBS trimmed its rating after Verizon’s strong run, signaling limited near-term upside and prompting some profit-taking. DBS Bank Downgrades Verizon (VZ) to Hold
Negative Sentiment: Short-term pullback / profit-taking — several articles note a recent weekly/monthly pullback after a ~20% YTD rally; that technical retracement is pressuring the stock today. Is Verizon Communications (VZ) Offering An Opportunity After Recent Share Price Pullback?
Negative Sentiment: Recent intraday weakness flagged — coverage noting a drop despite market gains reinforces the narrative of rotation/outflows in the near term. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Old North State Trust LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Old North State Trust LLC now owns 46,962 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,913,000 after acquiring an additional 770 shares during the last quarter. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $154,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $2,807,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 31.6% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,693,602 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $109,710,000 after acquiring an additional 647,230 shares during the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 23.9% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 466,396 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $18,996,000 after acquiring an additional 89,826 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.7%

The company’s fifty day moving average price is $49.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $43.57. The stock has a market cap of $201.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29. 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 released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The business’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is currently 68.15%.

Verizon Communications Company Profile

(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.