Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish on Verizon Stock?

New York-based Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) engages in the provision of communications, technology, information, and streaming products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental entities worldwide. The company has a market cap of $185.8 billion and operates in two segments, Verizon Consumer Group (Consumer) and Verizon Business Group (Business). 

VZ stock has outperformed the broader market over the past year and has slightly lagged in 2026. VZ stock has grown 14.8% over the past 52 weeks and 9.8% YTD. In comparison, the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has returned 11.1% over the past year and risen 10.7% in 2026.       

Narrowing the focus, VZ has also rallied the State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLC) 12.6% decline over the past 52 weeks and its 15.1% fall this year.

On Oct. 26, VZ stock declined 3.5% following the release of its mixed Q3 2026 earnings. The company’s revenue for the quarter grew 1.5% from the prior year’s quarter to $34.4 billion, but missed the Street’s estimates. Management cited the decline in its wireless equipment revenue as the main driver behind its overall revenue miss. Additionally, the company’s adjusted EPS amounted to $1.31, beating the consensus estimates.  

For the current year, which ends in December 2026, analysts expect VZ’s EPS to rise 7.9% to $5.08 on a diluted basis. It surpassed the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters. 

VZ has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating overall. Of the 30 analysts covering the stock, opinions include 10 “Strong Buys,” two “Moderate Buys,” and 18 “Holds.”

The configuration has grown slightly more bullish as the stock now has 10 “Strong Buy” ratings, compared to nine a month ago.

On Oct. 30, Citi analyst Michael Rollins maintained a “Buy” rating for VZ stock and lowered its price target from $55 to $53. 

VZ’s mean price target of $50.67 indicates a premium of 13.3% from the current market price. The Street-high target of $62 suggests a notable 38.6% upside potential.

On the date of publication, Aritra Gangopadhyay did not directly have a position in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.