NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 3:34 p.m. ET — Market closed (Weekend).
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) heads into the final week of the year with its stock parked around the low-$40s after a quiet, post-Christmas trading day on Wall Street. Verizon last closed at $40.48, up about 0.4% from the prior session, after trading between $40.24 and $40.53.
The broader market backdrop was similarly subdued on Friday, Dec. 26, when the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all edged lower in light volume—snapping a short winning streak but still leaving major indexes positioned for year-end gains. [1]
With U.S. equities closed Saturday and Sunday, Verizon investors now have a full weekend to digest a small cluster of fresh headlines from the last 24–48 hours—mostly centered on institutional-position updates and year-end “income stock” commentary—before trading resumes Monday morning.
Verizon stock news in the last 24–48 hours: filings-driven headlines dominate
Unlike weeks when telecom stocks swing on major corporate announcements, the most current Verizon-specific headlines over the past two days have been filings- and holdings-focused.
- Meyer Handelman Co. increased its Verizon stake by 2.3% to roughly 1.16 million shares (valued around $51.0 million) according to the firm’s latest disclosed filing, per a MarketBeat report published Saturday. [2]
- A separate MarketBeat roundup published Friday said Pacer Advisors trimmed its Verizon stake by 6.7%, selling 718,246 shares and ending with about 9.99 million shares valued around $439 million. [3]
Important context for investors: these types of headlines often reference 13F filings, which are backward-looking snapshots of institutional portfolios (not real-time trading). Still, they can shape short-term sentiment at year-end—especially when the market is thin and investors are scanning for “who’s buying” narratives.
Analyst forecasts: why many price targets cluster in the mid-$40s
Wall Street’s outlook on Verizon continues to skew cautiously constructive, with price targets commonly sitting in the mid-$40s.
MarketBeat’s consensus summary—based on 19 analyst ratings—puts Verizon at a “Moderate Buy” with an average 12‑month price target of $47.47 (and a stated range from $40.00 to $56.00). [4]
Other consensus trackers are in the same neighborhood. MarketWatch’s analyst-estimates snapshot lists an average target price around $46.45 and an average recommendation of “Overweight” (data noted as delayed/updated late Friday). [5]
Recent writeups also continue to reference older—but still market-relevant—rating moves from major firms. In its Dec. 26 roundup, MarketBeat cited:
- JPMorgan trimming its target to $47 and keeping a neutral stance (Oct. 30 note), and
- BNP Paribas Exane cutting to neutral with a $44 target (Oct. 21 note), among other updates. [6]
The headline takeaway: analysts broadly view Verizon as a slow-growth, cash-flow-heavy telecom where the upside case depends less on “breakout growth” and more on execution, churn control, and cash returns to shareholders.
Verizon’s dividend: key dates investors are watching into January
For many shareholders, Verizon remains a classic income stock, and the next dividend timeline is now a near-term calendar item:
- Dividend amount: $0.69 per share (quarterly)
- Ex-dividend date:Jan. 12, 2026
- Record date:Jan. 12, 2026
- Payment date:Feb. 2, 2026 [7]
At Verizon’s latest close near $40.48, that payout implies a forward yield in the high‑6% range—one reason the stock tends to show up in late-year “high-yield” screens and retirement-income discussions. [8]
Fundamentals snapshot: what Verizon reported most recently
Verizon’s most recent quarterly update (3Q 2025) is still setting the baseline for how investors frame the next catalyst—fourth-quarter results.
In its third-quarter release, Verizon reported (among other items):
- Adjusted EPS: $1.21
- Total operating revenue: $33.8 billion (up 1.5% year over year)
- Free cash flow (first nine months of 2025): $15.8 billion
- Total unsecured debt (end of 3Q 2025): $119.7 billion [9]
Reuters also highlighted that Verizon beat profit expectations and posted 44,000 total monthly bill-paying wireless subscriber additions in the third quarter versus FactSet expectations for 19,000, helped by promotions around phone upgrades. [10]
These figures matter for the stock’s “income + value” thesis because dividend sustainability is ultimately tied to free cash flow, and Verizon’s valuation is sensitive to rate expectations given its large debt load.
The strategic backdrop: cost cuts, restructuring and the push to defend margins
One of the biggest themes hovering over Verizon stock into 2026 is whether management can deliver a credible cost reset while maintaining competitiveness in a promotion-heavy wireless market.
In November, Verizon announced a major restructuring that included cutting more than 13,000 jobs and converting 179 company-owned stores into franchise operations, with Reuters reporting the company expected a $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion severance charge in the fourth quarter. [11]
That restructuring narrative continues to echo through current commentary. A TipRanks column published Friday by Davit Kirakosyan framed 2026 as a “reset year,” arguing the company is positioning for longer-run improvement while emphasizing free cash flow and dividend support. [12]
Meanwhile, income-focused commentators have kept Verizon in view as a “high yielder” that trades at a discounted earnings multiple, including a Seeking Alpha piece discussing income strategies around the stock. [13]
Network and fiber expansion: why the Frontier deal remains on investors’ radar
Beyond wireless promotions and cost cuts, Verizon’s longer-term strategic story increasingly leans on expanding broadband reach—particularly fiber.
A key regulatory milestone arrived on Dec. 18, when the New York State Public Service Commission approved the transfer of control of Frontier Communications to Verizon, attaching commitments that include investment requirements and service-quality conditions. Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said the transaction would expand fiber-based broadband and strengthen Frontier’s operations, according to the state’s announcement. [14]
Even though this approval is outside the last 48 hours, it remains highly relevant because it underscores what investors are effectively underwriting: scale in fiber, potential cross-selling with wireless, and execution risk across multiple regulatory jurisdictions.
Partnerships and infrastructure: Verizon’s tower strategy and 5G flexibility
Verizon has also signaled continued focus on network efficiency. In a Dec. 16 release, Verizon announced a strategic partnership with Array Digital Infrastructure aimed at streamlining tower collocation and improving network agility. Verizon engineering VP Phillip French said the deal supports “nimbleness and flexibility” and “cost efficiency,” while Array President and CEO Anthony Carlson described it as an opportunity for both organizations. [15]
For the stock, these initiatives reinforce the narrative that Verizon is trying to balance:
- the capital demands of maintaining a high-quality network, and
- the need to protect cash returns (dividends) amid competitive pressure.
Market context: what Friday’s tape signals for Verizon into year-end
The year-end environment matters for Verizon because defensive, dividend-paying stocks can see rotation flows when investors de-risk or lock in gains.
On Friday, Reuters described a “light-volume” session where markets were essentially “catching their breath” after a strong run. “We had a very strong five-day rally,” said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, in comments reported by Reuters. [16]
Reuters also noted that communication services—Verizon’s sector—was among the better-performing S&P sectors year-to-date in 2025. [17]
What Verizon investors should know before the next session
With markets closed for the weekend, here’s what to keep on the checklist ahead of the Monday, Dec. 29 open:
1) Watch Monday’s key U.S. data point (and rates reaction).
MarketWatch’s weekly calendar highlights Pending Home Sales (Nov.) at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday. Rate-sensitive and dividend-heavy equities can react quickly if bond yields move on macro surprises. [18]
2) Expect thin year-end conditions to persist.
Reuters emphasized light trading volume and a lack of catalysts in Friday’s session—conditions that often carry into the last few days of the year, when price action can be exaggerated by lower liquidity. [19]
3) Dividend calendar is the next near-term Verizon-specific date.
For investors positioning around income, Verizon’s next ex-dividend date is Jan. 12, 2026, with payment on Feb. 2, 2026. [20]
4) Know the next major company event: Q4 earnings.
Verizon’s investor calendar lists a discussion of fourth-quarter 2025 earnings results at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. [21]
5) Keep the holiday schedule in mind.
As the year turns, markets will be closed on Jan. 1, 2026 (New Year’s Day), while New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) is expected to be a full trading day for stocks (with bond trading ending early at 2 p.m. ET), according to Investopedia. [22]
Bottom line: why Verizon stock is still trading like an “income-first” story
At around $40, Verizon stock is still behaving less like a high-growth telecom bet and more like a cash-flow + dividend instrument that investors weigh against the direction of interest rates and the competitiveness of the U.S. wireless market. [23]
Over the last 48 hours, the freshest headlines have been more about who holds Verizon and how analysts frame its valuation than about brand-new corporate catalysts. [24]
That likely keeps the near-term narrative intact into Monday: a defensive, high-yield name with ambitious restructuring and fiber expansion plans—one that will ultimately need Q4 results to prove that cost discipline, subscriber momentum and cash generation can coexist in a fiercely competitive telecom landscape. [25]
References
1. www.reuters.com, 2. www.marketbeat.com, 3. www.marketbeat.com, 4. www.marketbeat.com, 5. www.marketwatch.com, 6. www.marketbeat.com, 7. www.verizon.com, 8. www.verizon.com, 9. www.verizon.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.tipranks.com, 13. seekingalpha.com, 14. dps.ny.gov, 15. www.verizon.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. www.marketwatch.com, 19. www.reuters.com, 20. www.verizon.com, 21. www.verizon.com, 22. www.investopedia.com, 23. www.verizon.com, 24. www.marketbeat.com, 25. www.verizon.com
