VZ AI Stock Analysis – Buy, Hold, or Avoid?

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Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ)

$46.04-1.74 (-3.64%) today

Open
$47.09
High
$47.10
Low
$45.95
Volume
19.94M
Mkt Cap
$194.18B
52W High
$51.68
AI Verdict
Confidence 70%
VZVerizon Communications Inc.
AlphaCrew AI
HOLD
Overall
Summary

Verizon (VZ) offers a stable, income-oriented profile with resilient fundamentals and a fair valuation, but faces high leverage, muted growth, and deteriorating sentiment. Technicals suggest a possible short-term rebound from oversold levels, yet long-term upside is capped by sector maturity and financial risk. The stock is best suited for defensive investors seeking dividends rather than aggressive capital appreciation.

By Timeframe
Hover for details
BUY
Short
HOLD
Medium
HOLD
Long
Agent Signals
131
Fund
Tech
Val
Sent
Risk

Fundamentals

Essentia
Essentia
Fundamental Analysis
NEUTRAL

Verizon Communications exhibits stable fundamental performance with consistent revenue and modest earnings growth. Its large market presence and defensive business model underpin steady profitability, though growth momentum remains moderate, and the company faces structural challenges in the telecommunications sector.

Financial Highlights

Q4 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025Q4 2025$0$9.5B$19.0B$28.5B$38.0BRevenue & Net Income ($)6%9%12%15%18%Net Margin (%)
  • Revenue
  • Net Income
  • Net Margin (%)

Revenue

$36.38B

1.96% YoY

Q4 2025

Net Income

$2.34B

-53.21% YoY

Q4 2025

Net Margin

6.44%

Q4 2025

Growth Metrics

Revenue Growth YoY

1.96%

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

Net Income Growth YoY

-53.21%

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

Revenue Per Share Growth YoY

1.70%

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

EPS Growth YoY

-53.78%

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

Book Value Per Share Growth YoY

4.86%

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

 Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024Q1 2024
Revenue36.4B33.8B34.5B33.5B35.7B33.3B32.8B33.0B
Revenue Growth YoY+1.96%+1.47%+5.21%+1.53%+1.57%-0.02%+0.61%+0.21%
Net Income2.3B5.0B5.0B4.9B5.0B3.3B4.6B4.6B
Net Income Growth YoY-53.21%+49.73%+8.93%+6.02%+285.03%-30.58%-1.18%-6.25%
EPS$0.55$1.17$1.18$1.16$1.19$0.78$1.09$1.09
EPS Growth YoY-53.78%+50.00%+8.26%+6.42%+285.94%-30.97%-0.91%-6.84%

Profitability Metrics

Gross Margin

80.49%

TTM

Operating Margin

13.75%

TTM

Net Margin

6.44%

TTM

Return on Equity

16.62%

TTM

Return on Assets

4.63%

TTM

 Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024Q1 2024
Gross Margin80.49%46.89%46.33%47.34%43.89%46.90%48.30%47.49%
Operating Margin13.75%23.96%23.68%23.83%20.80%23.53%23.84%23.13%
Net Margin6.44%14.64%14.50%14.57%14.03%9.92%14.00%13.95%
Return on Equity (ROE)2.24%4.71%4.85%4.84%5.04%3.43%4.78%4.88%
Return on Assets (ROA)0.63%1.39%1.43%2.57%2.58%1.73%2.43%2.42%

Technical Analysis

Candela
Candela
Technical Analysis
BULLISH

VZ is currently in a strong advancing phase with institutional buying evident, trading below the 50-day SMA but above the 150 and 200-day SMAs. The stock is oversold according to RSI, suggesting a potential bullish reversal, supported by a strong ADX indicating a solid trend presence.

RSI
Buy
Oversold26

Potential bounce ahead

03070100
Trend
Hold
Mixed

Mixed signals

+5.8% from 200 SMA
ADX
Buy
Strong Trend27

Strong trend active

Strong
MA Cross
Hold
Golden Cross

Watching for cross

50
200

Key Technical Values

Price
$46.04
50 SMA
$49.01
150 SMA
$43.65
200 SMA
$43.51
52W High
$51.68
52W Low
$38.39

Price with Moving Averages

50-day, 150-day and 200-day simple moving averages

Price
50 SMA
150 SMA
200 SMA

Relative Strength Index

Momentum oscillator measuring speed and magnitude of price changes

RSI (14)

≤30 Oversold
≥70 Overbought
26Oversold

Earnings

Essentia
Essentia
Fundamental Analysis
NEUTRAL

Verizon Communications exhibits stable fundamental performance with consistent revenue and modest earnings growth. Its large market presence and defensive business model underpin steady profitability, though growth momentum remains moderate, and the company faces structural challenges in the telecommunications sector.

Latest Earnings

Q4 2025 Earnings (Dec 31, 2025)

Earnings Per Share (EPS)

Beat

Actual

$1.09

Estimated

$1.05

Surprise

+$0.04

Surprise %

+3.81%

Revenue

Beat

Actual

$36.4B

Estimated

$36.09B

Surprise

+$308.97M

Surprise %

+0.86%

Historical Earnings

 Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024Q1 2024
Earnings Per Share
EPS (Actual)$1.09$1.21$1.22$1.19$1.10$1.19$1.15$1.15
EPS (Estimated)$1.05$1.19$1.19$1.15$1.11$1.18$1.15$1.12
EPS Surprise+$0.04+$0.02+$0.03+$0.04-$0.01+$0.01+$0.00+$0.03
% Diff+3.8%+1.7%+2.5%+3.5%-0.9%+0.8%+0.0%+2.7%
Revenue
Revenue (Actual)$36.4B$33.82B$34.5B$33.49B$35.68B$33.33B$32.8B$32.98B
Revenue (Estimated)$36.09B$34.26B$33.74B$33.28B$35.34B$33.42B$33.05B$33.23B
Revenue Surprise+$308.97M-$435.73M+$759.8M+$202.11M+$345.58M-$90.34M-$252.02M-$252.34M
% Diff+0.9%-1.3%+2.3%+0.6%+1.0%-0.3%-0.8%-0.8%

Valuation

Valorem
Valorem
Valuation Analysis
FAIRLY VALUED

Verizon Communications currently trades at a valuation that is moderately close to its fair value with some analysts indicating slight overvaluation while others see potential upside based on operational profitability and growth prospects. The company's valuation multiples reflect a mature telecommunications firm with steady revenue growth, strong profitability metrics, and consistent dividend yield, offset by elevated debt and moderate growth challenges.

Valuation Metrics

Price to Earnings

11.34

TTM

Price to Sales

1.41

TTM

Price to Book

1.86

TTM

Enterprise Value to EBITDA

7.87

TTM

Enterprise Value to Revenue

2.72

TTM

 Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024Q1 2024
Price to Earnings18.399.389.139.818.4314.339.589.68
Price to Sales4.745.495.305.724.735.695.365.40
Price to Book1.651.771.771.901.701.971.831.89
Enterprise Value to EBITDA37.8827.2127.1128.1526.1734.3928.3628.91
Enterprise Value to Revenue9.7310.3110.1210.669.3310.7610.5610.66

Sentiment & Analyst Ratings

Pulse
Pulse
Sentiment Analysis
MIXED

The overall sentiment for Verizon Communications (VZ) is mixed to slightly negative due to recent stock price declines, an analyst downgrade, and ongoing governance concerns. While the dividend hike and strong earnings provide some support, investor confidence is tempered by valuation worries and insider selling.

Analyst Recommendations

As of Apr 1, 2026
Strong SellSellHoldBuyStrong Buy
Buy
3.6 / 5.0
Based on 25 analyst ratings
Strong Sell
0
Sell
0
Hold
14
Buy
8
Strong Buy
3

Risk Assessment

Sentinel
Sentinel
Risk Assessment
HIGH

Verizon exhibits a financial profile characterized by substantial leverage and liquidity ratios below ideal thresholds, signaling moderate short-term liquidity stress. The company operates in a highly competitive environment with increasing regulatory and technological challenges, which weigh on its long-term growth prospects. Despite these headwinds, Verizon's steady cash generation and recent acquisitions position it for continued industry relevance, albeit with some financial risk.

Liquidity & Solvency

Current Ratio

0.91

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

Quick Ratio

0.87

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

Debt-to-Equity

1.92

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

Debt-to-Assets

0.50

Latest Quarter: Q4 2025

 Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024Q1 2024
Liquidity Metrics
Current Ratio0.910.740.640.610.630.660.630.71
Quick Ratio0.870.690.600.580.590.620.600.67
Solvency Metrics
Debt-to-Equity1.921.621.651.671.701.811.801.86
Debt-to-Assets0.500.440.440.440.440.460.460.46

Liquidity Assessment

Current Ratio: 0.91(Weak)

Quick Ratio: 0.87(Adequate)

The company has relatively weak liquidity and may face challenges meeting short-term obligations.

Solvency Assessment

Debt-to-Equity: 1.92(High)

Debt-to-Assets: 0.50(Moderate)

The company has relatively high debt levels, which may increase financial risk in economic downturns.

Frequently Asked Questions about VZ

AI Answers: Common Questions About VZ

Get AI-powered answers to the questions investors ask most about Verizon Communications Inc.

At $46.04 with a P/E of 11.34 and EV/EBITDA near 7.8x, Verizon is fairly valued for its sector, offering an attractive dividend yield and stable cash flows. Short-term technicals suggest a possible bounce from oversold levels, but long-term growth is limited. It is a reasonable buy for short-term traders or income investors, but not a compelling value play for growth-oriented buyers.

Unless your thesis has changed or you are concerned about the recent deterioration in sentiment and governance issues, there is no urgent reason to sell. Fundamentals remain stable and technicals indicate possible near-term upside. However, if you are seeking growth or are risk-averse to high leverage, consider trimming your position.

The biggest risks are high leverage (debt/equity ~1.92), low liquidity (current ratio ~0.91, quick ratio <0.9), and interest coverage below 3, which could strain finances if rates rise or cash flows dip. Regulatory and governance issues, along with competitive threats, also pose material risks.

Technical resistance levels are $49.01 (50 SMA) and $51.68 (52-week high), with support at $43.50-$43.65. Near-term upside could reach $49 if a rebound materializes, but medium-term targets are capped unless fundamentals improve. Analyst consensus is for limited upside given sector constraints.

Verizon is fairly valued with a P/E of 11.34, P/S around 1.4, and EV/EBITDA near 7.8x, all in line with telecom sector averages. The valuation reflects its steady but modest growth and high leverage, offering neither a deep discount nor an excessive premium.

The company is fundamentally strong in terms of recurring revenues, stable margins (gross >45%, operating 21-23%), and high ROE (24-26%), but faces flat EPS growth and high capex. The balance sheet is stretched by high debt, which tempers the overall strength.

Technicals are short-term bullish: RSI at 26.5 signals oversold, price is above long-term SMAs, and a golden cross is in place. Key support is at $43.50-$43.65, with upside targets at $49.01 and $51.68. A rebound is likely if price stabilizes above support.

Key catalysts include upcoming earnings reports, progress on 5G/fiber monetization, resolution of governance issues, and any deleveraging or capital allocation changes. Macro factors such as interest rate moves and regulatory developments should also be watched.

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