Bernstein SocGen Group has increased its price target for Verizon Communications to $48.00 from $44.00, while keeping a Market Perform rating on the shares. The brokerage pointed to the company’s stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter operating results as a key factor in the revision.
Verizon reported more than 600,000 postpaid phone net additions in the quarter, a 20% rise year over year and roughly 40% above expectations, according to the figures cited by Bernstein. The carrier also pushed fixed wireless access net additions back above the 300,000 level, signaling renewed traction in that segment.
Those operational outcomes have translated into pronounced market moves. Verizon’s stock has returned 12.37% over the past week and about 20.76% over the prior 12 months. The share price is trading around $44.52, with analyst targets spanning from $40 to $70, a range that Bernstein says implies the shares may be undervalued on certain Fair Value metrics. The stock is trading close to its 52-week high of $47.35 and carries a P/E ratio of 10.97.
Bernstein described investor sentiment as shifting from "cautious to intrigued" after the quarterly report, noting that the results produced the company’s best one-day stock gain in nearly two decades. Despite that positive market reaction, the research team stopped short of an outright upgrade to an Outperform-equivalent rating.
The firm struck a tone of guarded optimism. Analysts at Bernstein pointed to questions that remain around Verizon’s plan to reduce capital expenditures and how competitors might respond to the carrier’s renewed momentum. Laurent Yoon, a Bernstein analyst, observed that debates may persist over Verizon’s full-year 2025 metrics, but that investors are clearly focused on the company’s current positive trajectory.
Financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025 reinforced the upbeat narrative. Verizon delivered earnings per share of $1.09, topping a consensus forecast of $1.06, and reported revenue of $36.4 billion versus an expected $36.1 billion. Those beats underscore the carrier’s recent operational and financial momentum.
Other broker activity has reflected the same upward reassessment. Scotiabank raised its target on Verizon to $50.25 from $48.00 and maintained a Sector Perform rating. The bank’s revision followed Verizon’s announcement of a new initiative to reduce subscriber churn, backed by a $3 billion budget earmarked for 2026.
Separately, Verizon has been conducting a search for potential successors to Sowmyanarayan Sampath, the head of its consumer division. Company outreach to prospective candidates has occurred, though formal interviews have not yet been held. The personnel moves and strategic investments together illustrate management’s focus on improving customer retention and sustaining recent subscriber gains.
Bottom line: Bernstein’s price-target increase reflects confidence in recent subscriber and fixed wireless trends, but the firm retains a Market Perform stance pending clearer visibility on capex reductions and competitive reactions.