VZ
Verizon Communications Inc. Communication Services - Telecom Investor Relations →
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) closed at $46.31 as of 2026-02-02, trading 29.3% above its 200-week moving average of $35.82. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 24.4% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 75, VZ is in overbought territory.
Over the past 2154 weeks of data, VZ has crossed below its 200-week moving average 20 times. On average, these episodes lasted 22 weeks. Historically, investors who bought VZ at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +9.3%.
With a market cap of $195.3 billion, VZ is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 7.7%, which is healthy. Return on equity stands at 17.1%, a solid level. The stock trades at 1.9x book value.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in VZ would have grown to $912, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. VZ has returned 6.9% annualized vs 10.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Growth of $100: VZ vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After VZ Crosses Below the Line?
Across 20 historical episodes, buying VZ when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +7.5% after 12 months (median +9.0%), compared to +4.3% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 60% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +8.8% vs +8.5% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment VZ crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
VZ has crossed below its 200-week MA 20 times with an average 1-year return of +9.3% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1992 | Apr 1992 | 3 | 0.8% | +39.4% | +1103.9% |
| Aug 2000 | Sep 2000 | 7 | 10.2% | +33.9% | +327.8% |
| Oct 2000 | Oct 2000 | 1 | 0.4% | +15.8% | +278.8% |
| Mar 2001 | Mar 2001 | 3 | 4.1% | +0.6% | +266.3% |
| Aug 2001 | Sep 2001 | 2 | 2.9% | -35.9% | +244.6% |
| Nov 2001 | Aug 2004 | 144 | 42.8% | -19.9% | +240.9% |
| Jan 2005 | Feb 2006 | 56 | 13.4% | -8.3% | +307.9% |
| Apr 2006 | Apr 2006 | 1 | 0.0% | +26.5% | +335.0% |
| May 2006 | Jun 2006 | 6 | 5.1% | +41.2% | +345.0% |
| Jul 2006 | Jul 2006 | 3 | 2.4% | +37.9% | +332.5% |
| Sep 2008 | Nov 2008 | 9 | 22.7% | -1.2% | +282.3% |
| Jan 2009 | Nov 2009 | 46 | 15.2% | +4.8% | +276.5% |
| Jan 2010 | Jul 2010 | 28 | 12.6% | +31.4% | +267.6% |
| Sep 2015 | Oct 2015 | 1 | 0.6% | +27.0% | +87.7% |
| Jun 2017 | Jul 2017 | 4 | 3.8% | +18.3% | +66.3% |
| Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | 4 | 3.0% | -20.1% | +19.6% |
| Mar 2022 | Mar 2022 | 2 | 2.3% | -23.3% | +18.3% |
| Apr 2022 | Jun 2024 | 113 | 31.2% | -10.8% | +28.2% |
| Jul 2024 | Jul 2024 | 1 | 0.5% | +14.7% | +27.6% |
| Jan 2025 | Jan 2025 | 1 | 3.4% | +14.4% | +33.2% |
| Average | 22 | — | +9.3% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02