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Verizon Communications

VZ
49
Telecommunications Services · Communication Services
Price
$44.79
+0.39 (+0.88%)
Market Cap
$186.09B
Winston Score
49
Winston is serious
Mixed quality — meaningful strengths and weaknesses.
Data as of Oct 18, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026

§How the score breaks down

Quality
Good
17/30
Growth
Mixed
6/20
Cash Flow
Exceptional
9/10
Stability
Mixed
4/10
Valuation
Strong
8/10
Ownership
Weak
1/15
Dividends
Strong
4/5

49 of 100 counted points = Winston Score 49.

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Share count rising — dilution

+2.0% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 4.15B (2021) → 4.23B (2025)

§Winston Score History

The full picture

Verizon Communications is one of the largest telecom companies in the United States. It sells wireless phone plans, home internet service, and business communication tools to everyday consumers, small businesses, and large corporations. The company owns and operates one of the biggest wireless networks in the country, covering hundreds of millions of people across the U.S.

Verizon makes most of its money from monthly subscription fees paid by wireless and broadband customers, with over 100 million wireless connections on its network. It operates almost entirely in the United States, which makes it heavily dependent on one market. Its main competitive advantage is its large, established network infrastructure, which is expensive and time-consuming for rivals to replicate. The key growth driver is expanding its fixed wireless home internet service using 5G technology, but the company also carries a significant amount of debt, which limits its financial flexibility and is a real risk for investors to watch.

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Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-0.7% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

-22.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (12%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

0.1%ownership

→ Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$2.5B cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

→ Burn rate stable

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

Verizon Communications's revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
47.2%
Healthy — 47.2% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
21.0%
Excellent — 21.0% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
10.4%
Below par — 10.4% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+1.4%
Nearly flat sales (+1.4% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
-10.9%
Earnings shrinking (-10.9% YoY)

Earnings per share down more than 10%. Either a bad year, or a real decline.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
5/8 quarters
Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
240%
Turns 240% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
15.4%
Converts sales into free cash efficiently (15.4%)

FCF margin between 10% and 20%. Every $100 in sales becomes $10 to $20 in real cash.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
1.64
Elevated debt (1.64)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
3.88x
Tight — interest eats into profit (3.9x)

Interest coverage between 3 and 8. Profits cover interest several times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
11.7x
Attractive valuation — P/E 11.7

P/E in the normal range. Price is roughly $15 for every $1 of yearly profit.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+3.5
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (11.7 → 8.2)

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
6.18%
Healthy income — 6.18% yield

Yield above 6% — often a flag the market is pricing in a cut.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+3.3%
Dividend growing modestly (3.3% YoY)
Payout Ratio
72%
no trend
Most of the profit goes out as dividends. Little left to reinvest, and less cushion if earnings dip.

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