VZ

Briefing From The Editor -- VZ Stock

Verizon Communications logged a -1.0% change during today's afternoon session, and is now trading at a price of $30.86 per share.

Verizon Communications returned losses of -15.0% last year, with its stock price reaching a high of $42.58 and a low of $30.14. Over the same period, the stock underperformed the S&P 500 index by -35.0%. As of April 2023, the company's 50-day average price was $33.33. Verizon Communications Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides communications, technology, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental entities worldwide. Based in New York, NY, the large-cap Telecommunications company has 117,100 full time employees. Verizon Communications has offered a 8.4% dividend yield over the last 12 months.

Exceptional Profitability Overshadowed by Excessive Leverage:

2018-02-23 2019-02-15 2020-02-21 2021-02-25 2022-02-11 2023-02-10
Revenue (MM) $126,034 $130,863 $131,868 $128,292 $133,613 $136,835
Gross Margins 57.0% 57.0% 57.0% 60.0% 57.0% 56.0%
Operating Margins 22% 21% 23% 22% 24% 22%
Net Margins 24.0% 12.0% 15.0% 14.0% 17.0% 16.0%
Net Income (MM) $30,101 $15,528 $19,265 $17,801 $22,065 $21,256
Net Interest Expense (MM) -$4,733 -$4,833 -$4,730 -$4,247 -$3,485 -$3,613
Depreciation & Amort. (MM) -$16,954 -$17,403 -$16,682 -$16,720 -$16,206 -$17,099
Earnings Per Share $7.36 $3.76 $4.65 $4.3 $5.29 $5.12
EPS Growth n/a -48.91% 23.67% -7.53% 23.02% -3.21%
Diluted Shares (MM) 4,089 4,132 4,140 4,142 4,169 4,150
Free Cash Flow (MM) $42,148 $52,426 $54,583 $63,856 $107,421 $63,881
Capital Expenditures (MM) -$17,830 -$18,087 -$18,837 -$22,088 -$67,882 -$26,740
Net Current Assets (MM) -$182,543 -$175,483 -$191,419 -$192,615 -$246,668 -$249,360
Long Term Debt (MM) $113,642 $105,873 $100,712 $123,173 $143,425 $140,676
Net Debt / EBITDA 2.59 2.49 2.3 2.35 3.04 3.11

Verizon Communications has slimmer gross margins than its peers, declining EPS growth, and a highly leveraged balance sheet. On the other hand, the company has strong margins with a stable trend working in its favor. Furthermore, Verizon Communications has weak revenue growth and a flat capital expenditure trend and irregular cash flows.

Verizon Communications Has Attractive Multiples and Trades Below Its Graham Number:

Verizon Communications has a trailing twelve month P/E ratio of 6.7, compared to an average of 18.85 for the Telecommunications sector. Based on its EPS guidance of $4.68, the company has a forward P/E ratio of 7.1. The company doesn't issue forward earnings guidance, and the compound average growth rate of its last 6 years of reported EPS is -6.2%. On this basis, the company's PEG ratio is -1.07, which indicates that its shares are overpriced. In contrast, the market is likely undervaluing Verizon Communications in terms of its equity because its P/B ratio is 1.36 while the sector average is 3.12. The company's shares are currently trading -39.1% below their Graham number.

Verizon Communications Has an Average Rating of Hold:

The 22 analysts following Verizon Communications have set target prices ranging from $30.0 to $64.0 per share, for an average of $39.81 with a hold rating. As of April 2023, the company is trading -16.3% away from its average target price, indicating that there is an analyst consensus of strong upside potential.

Verizon Communications has a very low short interest because 1.0% of the company's shares are sold short. Institutions own 63.9% of the company's shares, and the insider ownership rate stands at 0.03%, suggesting a small amount of insider investors. The largest shareholder is Vanguard Group Inc, whose 8% stake in the company is worth $10,820,753,746.

The above analysis is intended for educational purposes only and was performed on the basis of publicly available data. It is not to be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Any buy, sell, or other recommendations mentioned in the article are direct quotations of consensus recommendations from the analysts covering the stock, and do not represent the opinions of Market Inference or its writers. Past performance, accounting data, and inferences about market position and corporate valuation are not reliable indicators of future price movements. Market Inference does not provide financial advice. Investors should conduct their own review and analysis of any company of interest before making an investment decision.

IN FOCUS