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Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts

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In the latest trading session, Verizon Communications (VZ - Free Report) closed at $38.42, marking a +1% move from the previous day. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.06% loss on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.22%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.31%.

Heading into today, shares of the largest U.S. cellphone carrier had gained 6.73% over the past month, outpacing the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 5.53% and the S&P 500's gain of 5.1% in that time.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Verizon Communications in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $1.08, reflecting a 9.24% decrease from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $34.72 billion, down 1.52% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $4.70 per share and a revenue of $133.56 billion, demonstrating changes of -9.27% and -2.39%, respectively, from the preceding year.

Furthermore, it would be beneficial for investors to monitor any recent shifts in analyst projections for Verizon Communications. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.02% increase. Verizon Communications presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at valuation, Verizon Communications is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 8.09. This indicates a discount in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 8.73.

Also, we should mention that VZ has a PEG ratio of 2.31. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. As the market closed yesterday, the Wireless National industry was having an average PEG ratio of 2.17.

The Wireless National industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 89, positioning it in the top 36% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.


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