LIVE
T
AT&T Inc. · Communication Services
$22.01
-11.89% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
VZ
Verizon Communications Inc. · Communication Services
$45.37
-4.96% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
T
1
VZ
4
Comparison scoreboard
VZ LEADS 4/5AI Score
T 40.1
VZ ✓40.7
1Y Return
T -20.40%
VZ ✓+8.41%
Fwd P/E
T 9.25
VZ ✓9.14
Target Up.
T ✓+28.42%
VZ +7.89%
Op. Margin
T 22.72%
VZ ✓25.19%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
T vs VZ Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
AT&T and Verizon are the two largest traditional US telecom companies and offer very similar high-yield value propositions. Both have elevated debt, large wireless businesses, and expanding fiber broadband strategies. AT&T Fiber is more advanced in its organic fiber build; Verizon's Frontier acquisition will eventually close the gap. T has been more competitive on wireless subscriber adds recently; VZ has the stronger network quality reputation.
T and VZ are both high-yield income investments where the fiber broadband expansion is the key growth catalyst — investors should assess which company's fiber strategy and balance sheet trajectory creates more confidence in dividend sustainability and earnings growth.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
VZ holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. VZ leads on both 1-year return (+8.41%) and forward P/E (9.14x vs 9.25x for T), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. VZ leads on both revenue growth (2.90%) and operating margin (25.19%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for T (+28.42%) than for VZ (+7.89%).
Normalized 1Y performance
T
VZ
Recent returns
T
VZ
Analyst price targets & sentiment
T · 26 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.9/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$17.80
analyst high$34.00
analyst mean$30.28
current price$22.01
+28.4% upside to analyst mean
VZ · 23 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.3/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$42.00
analyst high$56.00
analyst mean$51.90
current price$45.37
+7.9% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
T may suit investors who:
- →want high dividend yield from a simplified, focused connectivity company post-WarnerMedia spin-off
- →value AT&T Fiber's competitive momentum gaining broadband market share from cable incumbents
- →believe the debt reduction trajectory will unlock additional capital return capacity over time
- →are comfortable with ongoing fiber capex spend in exchange for higher long-term broadband revenue
VZ may suit investors who:
- →prefer Verizon's network quality reputation as a premium wireless provider
- →see value in the Frontier acquisition as a broadband footprint expansion catalyst
- →want fixed wireless access as a capital-efficient broadband supplement to fiber
- →value the brand recognition and enterprise wireless relationships built over decades
Performance & AI score
| Metric | T | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 40.1 | 40.7 |
| AI rank | #1078 | #1026 |
| Latest close | $22.01 | $45.37 |
| 1M return | -11.89% | -4.96% |
| 6M return | -9.65% | +10.98% |
| 1Y return | -20.40% | +8.41% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | T | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $7.96K (-20.4%) started 2025-06-18 | $10.89K (+8.9%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $17.91K (+79.1%) started 2021-06-21 | $13.56K (+35.6%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $34.39K (+243.9%) started 2016-06-20 | $24.29K (+142.9%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | T | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $163.84B | $200.89B |
| Trailing P/E | 7.76 | 11.73 |
| Forward P/E | 9.25 | 9.14 |
| Price/Sales | 1.64 | 1.36 |
| EV/Revenue | 2.60 | 2.84 |
| Analyst target | $30.28 | $51.90 |
| Target upside | +28.42% | +7.89% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | T | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 2.90% | 2.90% |
| Earnings growth | -11.30% | 4.30% |
| EPS growth | -11.30% | +4.30% |
| FCF margin | +6.99% | +14.09% |
| Operating margin | 22.72% | 25.19% |
| Profit margin | 16.94% | 12.46% |
| ROIC proxy | 18.37% | 17.20% |
| Return on equity | 18.37% | 17.20% |
| Dividend yield | 4.71% | 5.88% |
| Beta | 0.40 | 0.22 |
| Debt/equity | 125.17 | 192.04 |
| Current ratio | 0.92 | 0.64 |
| Quick ratio | 0.52 | 0.51 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
T max drawdown25.69%
VZ max drawdown14.78%
T max wkly drop9.57%
VZ max wkly drop8.75%
5Y risk snapshot
T max drawdown32.01%
VZ max drawdown38.38%
T max wkly drop12.69%
VZ max wkly drop12.88%
10Y risk snapshot
T max drawdown39.43%
VZ max drawdown41.21%
T max wkly drop17.46%
VZ max wkly drop12.88%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | T | VZ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -20.43% | +8.88% |
| CAGR | -20.45% | +8.89% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.10 | 0.29 | |
| Max drawdown | 25.69% | 14.78% | |
| Max daily drop | 4.42% | 5.11% | |
| Max wkly drop | 9.57% | 8.75% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +31.92% | +2.81% |
| CAGR | +5.71% | +0.56% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.17 | -0.07 | |
| Max drawdown | 32.01% | 38.38% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.41% | 7.50% | |
| Max wkly drop | 12.69% | 12.88% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +37.75% | +34.49% |
| CAGR | +3.26% | +3.01% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.07 | 0.03 | |
| Max drawdown | 39.43% | 41.21% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.41% | 7.50% | |
| Max wkly drop | 17.46% | 12.88% |
Business comparison
| Category | T | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| Company | AT&T Inc. | Verizon Communications Inc. |
| Sector | Communication Services | Communication Services |
| Industry | Telecom Services | Telecom Services |
| Core business | AT&T is a telecommunications giant providing wireless services (postpaid and prepaid), fiber broadband (AT&T Fiber / ATTF), and business telecom services. Following the spin-off of WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery), AT&T is a focused connectivity company. AT&T Fiber is a key growth pillar — the company is expanding its fiber footprint to pass 30+ million locations and has been gaining broadband market share from cable incumbents. Consumer postpaid wireless is the largest revenue segment. | Verizon is the US's largest wireless carrier by total connections, with a network reputation for reliability that has historically supported premium pricing. Its Fios fiber broadband service covers parts of the Northeast but has more limited geographic scope than AT&T Fiber. Verizon has been pursuing fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband via its 5G network as a broadband expansion strategy in markets without Fios infrastructure. The Frontier Communications acquisition will meaningfully expand its fiber footprint. |
| Investor focus | Investors track postpaid net adds and churn, AT&T Fiber location passings and penetration rates, free cash flow generation (critical for dividend sustainability and debt repayment), and the pace of debt reduction from the WarnerMedia/DirecTV era. | Investors track postpaid phone net adds (Verizon has been losing share to T-Mobile), ARPU trends, the Frontier acquisition integration timeline and fiber passings expansion, and free cash flow relative to the dividend (payout ratio is high). |
T strengths
- →AT&T Fiber is gaining broadband market share from cable with superior speed and reliability
- →Postpaid wireless subscriber growth has been consistently competitive with T-Mobile in recent years
- →WarnerMedia separation simplified the capital allocation story and reduced conglomerate risk
VZ strengths
- →Network reliability reputation supports premium pricing in the postpaid wireless segment
- →Frontier acquisition will accelerate fiber footprint expansion to 25M+ locations
- →Fixed wireless access (FWA) providing broadband to 4M+ homes without requiring fiber infrastructure
Risks to watch — T
- →Elevated legacy debt from the DirecTV and WarnerMedia acquisitions constrains shareholder returns
- →DirecTV satellite video subscriber decline is a persistent drag requiring ultimate resolution
- →Fiber build requires significant ongoing capex investment limiting near-term free cash flow
Risks to watch — VZ
- →Postpaid phone market share losses to T-Mobile have been a multi-year trend requiring reversal
- →Frontier acquisition adds debt and integration complexity
- →Dividend payout ratio is high relative to free cash flow, limiting reduction runway if FCF misses
Frequently asked questions
Free public comparison
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.
Related comparisons
More comparisons
Browse all 1,000 comparisons →