VZ Research
Verizon Communications Inc.
6.24%
Forward yield
$2.830 / yr per share
Yield percentile (5y)
P 67
4.7% (P10)5.7% (med)6.7% (P90)
Quality score
81/100
Good · Moderate payout risk
Annual / share
$2.830
Quarterly · next ex-date 07-10 (34d)
vs 5y P90 reference
+9%
$45.37 vs $41.27 (5y P90 price)
Refreshed 2026-06-06Data coverage High — 43y history
01Fundamentals
VZ presents a strong income opportunity with a 6.1622% dividend yield and a 43-year dividend growth streak. The $2.766 annual dividend is safe, evidenced by a 67.4% payout ratio and $19,676,000,000 in free cash flow, despite balance sheet concerns from 192.045% Debt/Equity.
Bull caseThe 6.1622% dividend yield is highly attractive and safe, backed by 43 consecutive years of payments, a 20.0/20 payout safety score, and a strong 17.198% ROE confirming stable profitability despite 3.3% 5Y dividend growth.
Bear caseThe biggest risk is the company's weak 5.7/20 balance sheet strength, primarily due to its high 192.045% Debt/Equity ratio.
02Risk & quality
| GAAP payout ratio | Moderate · 67.4% |
| Overall quality score | 81 / 100 · Good |
Score breakdown — five dimensions, each /2020 + 20 + 18 + 2 + 6 = 81
20.0/20
Consistency
20.0/20
Payout safety
18.0/20
Moat
↓
2.2/20
Growth rate
5.7/20
Balance sheet
- Consistency 20.0/20 — VZ has raised or maintained its dividend for 43 consecutive years, qualifying as a Dividend Aristocrat (25+ year streak). The dimension caps at 10 years, so 43 years comfortably clears the ceiling for full credit.
- Payout safety 20.0/20 — VZ pays out 67.4% of GAAP earnings as dividends — still inside the safe band, with some headroom before reaching 80%, the level commonly flagged as strained. Manageable as long as earnings hold up.
- Moat 18.0/20 — Scores how protected VZ's earnings stream is from competition. Operating in Communication Services, VZ benefits from the kind of brand pricing power, regulatory position, or scale that lets margins hold up through economic cycles. Cyclical or commodity-driven sectors typically score in the single digits here.
- Growth rate 2.2/20 — VZ has raised the dividend about 3.3% per year over the past 5 years — modest but steady. This kind of mid-single-digit pace is typical for mature, large-cap dividend payers running at moderate payout ratios; growth-tilted dividend ETFs (think SCHD constituents) typically target the 15-20% range.
- Balance sheet 5.7/20 — A composite of ROE and inverse leverage. A low score here can mean weak return-on-equity, high debt, or both — for VZ, 17.2% ROE and 192% debt-to-equity. Doesn't directly threaten the current dividend if cash flow is healthy, but it does limit how much room the company has for future hikes or to absorb a downturn.
03Price reference
$10,000at current price →$624/ yr in dividends
Math: 6.24% forward yield. Historical 5y DGR is 3.3%/yr — past growth does not guarantee future results.
Below are statistical price references from the last 5 years of trading, anchored to historical drawdown events. They describe where the price has been — not where it should be.
$35.11
$41.27
$45.37
5y P10
5y P90
Now
| Current price | $45.37 |
| 5y P90 reference (high-yield 10% tail) | $41.27 — 9.0% lower |
| 5y P10 reference (low-yield 10% tail) | $35.11 — 22.6% lower |
| 5y max observed yield (at P10 price) | 8.1% |
| Annual dividend (frozen forward) | $2.830 / share · 6.24% yield |
Historical anchor · 2008-10 Global Financial Crisis
Low $9.45 · drawdown 11 days · yield reached 14.7%
Lehman collapse triggered global credit freeze; S&P fell ~50% peak-to-trough.
Important — this is reference data, not investment advice.
Quality scores, percentiles, and price references are statistical summaries of historical data computed by our research methodology from public market data, refreshed daily. They do not constitute a buy / sell / hold recommendation, do not account for your personal financial situation, tax bracket, or goals, and past performance does not predict future results. Consult a registered investment advisor before making investment decisions. divcalc.io is not a registered investment advisor.
Quality scores, percentiles, and price references are statistical summaries of historical data computed by our research methodology from public market data, refreshed daily. They do not constitute a buy / sell / hold recommendation, do not account for your personal financial situation, tax bracket, or goals, and past performance does not predict future results. Consult a registered investment advisor before making investment decisions. divcalc.io is not a registered investment advisor.