LIVE
T
AT&T Inc. · Communication Services - Telecom
$22.01
-11.89% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
VZ
Verizon Communications Inc. · Communication Services - Telecom
$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
T (AT&T) and VZ (Verizon) are the two largest U.S. wireless carriers and the primary telecom dividend income investments — AT&T is growing AT&T Fiber and rebuilding its simplified telecom portfolio post-WarnerMedia, while Verizon leads in wireless network quality with growing fixed wireless access using its 5G infrastructure. Both offer high dividend yields in a mature oligopolistic wireless market.
T vs VZ is the U.S. telecom income duopoly — AT&T's wireless-plus-fiber growth strategy competing with cable for broadband versus Verizon's network quality premium and fixed wireless access expansion, both generating substantial free cash flow to fund generous dividends.
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 AT&T's high dividend yield from a simplified telecom company (post-WarnerMedia) with growing fiber internet and wireless service revenue
- →Value AT&T Fiber's subscriber growth as a potential broadband share gain catalyst competing with cable in markets where fiber passes new homes
- →See AT&T's post-WarnerMedia strategic clarity as reducing the conglomerate discount and better positioning the telecom business for long-term value creation
VZ may suit investors who:
- →Want the wireless network quality leader with enterprise and government customer relationships supporting premium ARPU and a high, relatively stable dividend
- →Value Verizon's fixed wireless access expansion as capturing a new broadband subscriber category at low incremental cost using existing 5G network investment
- →Prefer Verizon's pure wireless and wireline telecom focus versus AT&T's simultaneous wireless and fiber expansion capital requirements
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 the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier and a major broadband provider — operating wireless services (AT&T Mobility), fiber internet (AT&T Fiber / ACP), and business wireline services after its strategic spin-off of WarnerMedia in 2022 to form Warner Bros. Discovery. | Verizon is the largest U.S. wireless carrier by postpaid subscribers — operating Verizon Wireless, Fios fiber internet (in select Northeast markets), and business communications, while also offering fixed wireless access (5G home internet) as a cable broadband alternative. |
| Investor focus | Investors track AT&T's wireless subscriber growth, postpaid phone net adds, fiber internet subscriber additions (a key growth driver), ARPU, and free cash flow generation for dividend coverage — after the WarnerMedia spinoff transformed AT&T back into a focused telecom company. | Investors track Verizon's wireless service revenue growth, fixed wireless access subscriber adds (a new growth vector), ARPU and pricing power, free cash flow generation for dividend coverage, and the C-Band 5G spectrum investment returns. |
T strengths
- →AT&T Fiber is growing rapidly — FirstNet partnership and ongoing fiber network buildout is expanding AT&T's high-speed internet footprint to compete with cable broadband
- →Wireless network quality improvements and FirstNet (first responder network) provide both premium subscriber value and stable government customer relationships
- →Post-WarnerMedia transformation simplified AT&T back to a pure-play telecom — free cash flow more predictable without media and entertainment business volatility
VZ strengths
- →Network quality leadership — Verizon has historically led U.S. wireless network quality rankings, which supports premium pricing and subscriber retention in the consumer and enterprise segment
- →Enterprise and government wireless relationships provide large enterprise and government customer revenue with stronger pricing power than pure consumer wireless
- →Fixed wireless access (FWA) using 5G infrastructure is growing rapidly — Verizon is adding home internet customers using excess 5G network capacity
Risks to watch — T
- →AT&T cut its dividend in 2022 following the WarnerMedia spinoff — investors seeking maximum yield should note the new lower (but more sustainable) dividend baseline
- →Fiber buildout requires significant ongoing capital expenditure — AT&T is investing billions annually in fiber expansion that compresses near-term free cash flow
- →Wireless market is a mature three-player oligopoly (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) — subscriber growth requires winning customers from competitors in a saturated market
Risks to watch — VZ
- →T-Mobile's network improvement and aggressive pricing have taken share from Verizon — sustaining network quality leadership requires ongoing capex in 5G spectrum and equipment
- →Verizon's dividend yield is high, but dividend growth has been modest — the dividend has grown but at a slower pace than many dividend growth investors prefer
- →Fixed wireless access may cannibalize Verizon's own higher-margin Fios fiber business in markets where both are available — the FWA economics are different from fiber
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