Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) Receives Positive Analyst Outlook Following Strong Q1 Results

• Morgan Stanley raised its price target for Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) to $50, maintaining a "Positive" grade.
• Verizon's adjusted profit of $1.28 per share surpassed analyst forecasts, leading to an increased full-year earnings growth target of 5% to 6%.
• Despite a "hold" recommendation due to mixed sales, Verizon demonstrated robust subscriber growth with 55,000 postpaid phone net additions and 341,000 broadband subscribers.

Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is a major telecommunications company in the United States. It provides wireless services, internet, and television to millions of customers. Verizon operates in a competitive telecom industry market, with its main rivals being AT&T and T-Mobile. The company has a market capitalization of approximately $198.65 billion.

On April 28, 2026, analyst firm Morgan Stanley updated its view on Verizon. It raised the VZ stock's price target to $50 from $49 while keeping a "Positive" grade. A price target is an analyst's projection of a stock's future price. The firm issued a "hold" recommendation when the stock was trading at $47.10.

This positive outlook follows Verizon's strong first-quarter results. The company's adjusted profit of $1.28 per share beat analyst forecasts. In response, Verizon raised its full-year adjusted earnings growth target to a range of 5% to 6%. The stock is currently up roughly 16% year to date.

The "hold" recommendation reflects the mixed nature of the quarterly report. While profit was strong, sales of approximately $34.4 billion fell short of Wall Street targets by around $490 million. A "hold" suggests investors should neither buy more shares nor sell existing ones at the current price.

However, as highlighted by MarketBeat, positive structural changes are happening. Verizon achieved 55,000 postpaid phone net additions, its first positive Q1 in this area since 2013. The company also added 341,000 broadband subscribers, showing strong growth in its fixed wireless access (FWA) service.