1,268,272 Shares in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Bought by SEB Asset Management AB

Key Points

• SEB Asset Management AB opened a new position in Verizon Communications, buying 1,268,272 shares worth about $63.7 million in the first quarter.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 62.06% of Verizon shares held by hedge funds and other institutions, and several smaller investors also recently added stakes.
• Wall Street is still cautious on the stock: analysts currently rate Verizon Hold overall, even as the company trades near $43.57 and offers a 6.5% dividend yield.

SEB Asset Management AB acquired a new position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 1,268,272 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock, valued at approximately $63,667,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on VZ. Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $50.09.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is moving to sell 274 company-owned retail stores to franchisees and cut roughly 3,000 jobs, a restructuring that could lower operating costs and improve margins over time. Reuters: Verizon to shed 274 stores, lay off another 500 corporate employees
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction has been favorable to the cost-reset story, with articles noting VZ rose as investors responded to the store shakeup and expense reduction plans. Yahoo Finance: VZ Stock Rises — Verizon Moves To Slash Costs With Major Store Shakeup
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank slightly raised its FY2026 earnings estimate for Verizon and kept a Hold rating, suggesting only modest near-term earnings improvement. MarketBeat analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expected to report earnings on Friday, which keeps investors focused on whether the restructuring and broadband growth can offset slower revenue trends. American Banking News: Verizon Communications (VZ) to Post Earnings on Friday
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts are cautioning that Verizon already trades at a premium relative to peers, which could limit upside if earnings growth disappoints. Trefis: VZ Earns Its Premium Over Peers. Now What?
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank also lowered its price target to $51.50, reflecting some skepticism about the pace of Verizon’s improvement. American Banking News: Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ Price Target Lowered to $51.50 at Scotiabank

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.7%

VZ stock opened at $43.57 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $181.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.63, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $45.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

Verizon Communications Profile

Verizon Communications Inc NYSE: VZ is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The company's consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.

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