Verizon and ITT Are on Analysts' Radar as Upgrades Suggest More Gains Ahead

Core Viewpoint - Analysts are increasingly optimistic about infrastructure-related companies, particularly Verizon and ITT, as recent upgrades suggest potential for further gains ahead [1] Group 1: Verizon - Verizon has been upgraded to Outperform by Scotiabank with a new price target of $54.50, reflecting a 27.68% year-to-date increase to $51.12, trading at a forward P/E of 10x and offering a 5.34% yield [1] - The upgrade is based on strong subscriber growth, with postpaid phone net additions reaching 568,000 in Q4 2024, a 26.5% year-over-year increase, and fixed wireless access revenue growing 51.6% year-over-year to $611 million [1] - Scotiabank anticipates further cost reductions in 2027 and 2028, which, combined with lower churn rates, will enhance revenue growth [1] Group 2: ITT - ITT has been initiated with an Equal Weight rating by Barclays, with a price target of $220, while currently priced at $185.59, reflecting an 8.12% decline following the $4.775 billion SPX FLOW acquisition [1] - ITT's free cash flow grew 26.75% in FY2025 to $555.4 million, achieving a 14% free cash flow margin five years ahead of its 2030 target [1] - The acquisition of SPX FLOW is expected to add over $1.3 billion in revenue for 2025, but higher leverage from this acquisition may limit future acquisitions in the near term [1]