Verizon Communications (VZ) shares rose 0.33% to $47.017 in the afternoon trade on Thursday, extending gains for a seventh consecutive session.
The stock had gained about 19.28% between January 28 and February 04, compared to a 1.37% slide of the S&P 500 during the same period.
Verizon shares have advanced amid earnings-related updates and capital return announcements. Shares surged around 12% on January 30 after the company posted its quarterly results that beat analyst expectations.
The telecom major reported stronger-than-expected subscriber additions in the fourth quarter, outlined up to $5 billion in operating expense savings, and provided 2026 guidance tied to its Frontier integration. The company also raised its dividend and authorized up to $25 billion in share buybacks, alongside disclosures pointing to improving wireless equipment revenues and higher broadband net additions.
According to Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating system, VZ is rated Hold, with a score of 3.48 out of 5, with grades of A+ in profitability but offset by a D- in growth.
Turning to the Wall Street, 10 out of 25 analysts rate Verizon at Buy or higher, while 15 recommend Hold.
Earlier this week, an analyst said Verizon’s 2026 outlook shows “flat wireless service revenue and 4–5% EPS growth, relying on $5B in cost cuts,” and adding that the company’s capital return plans are “funded by reduced capex and increased leverage, not organic growth,” warning that “cost-cutting and financial engineering mask a shrinking legacy business.”
Shares are up around 18% in the past one month and have gained approximately 14.85% year-to-date.