Buzz-Street View: Cost cuts, new fiber deal fuel Verizon optimism

Morgan Stanley ("equal weight," PT: $52) says VZ's more than $1 billion dark-fiber deal with Google could become a long-term source of high-margin, contracted revenue, with contributions expected to begin in 2027.

J.P. Morgan ("neutral," PT: $52) says the turnaround has delivered meaningful progress in a short period and cost-cutting efforts are driving stronger financial growth, but it remains on the sidelines as peers offer better long-term growth prospects.

Scotiabank ("sector outperform," PT: $52.5) believes better customer retention, lower subsidy costs and a more integrated sales strategy should support steadier growth, though VZ still needs to deliver the expected pickup in second-half subscriber additions.

TD Cowen ("buy," PT: $56) says easing promotional costs, strong momentum in the prepaid business and VZ's cost-cutting program should help accelerate growth in the second half of 2026 and into 2027.

Telecom operator Verizon VZ.N on Friday raised its full-year adjusted profit forecast and said it had landed a dark-fiber connectivity contract worth more than $1 billion with Alphabet's Google GOOGL.O to support the tech giant's data centers.

Median PT of 28 brokerages covering the stock is $50 -LSEG-compiled data.