Andra AP fonden Sells 379,958 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Andra AP fonden reduced its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 49.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 386,142 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 379,958 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $19,384,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avanza Fonder AB grew its position in Verizon Communications by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Avanza Fonder AB now owns 331,962 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $13,521,000 after purchasing an additional 17,495 shares during the last quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 23.5% in the fourth quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 78,172 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $3,184,000 after buying an additional 14,862 shares during the last quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the first quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $35,790,000 after buying an additional 31,354 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 41.0% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 2,197,366 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $89,499,000 after buying an additional 639,380 shares during the period. Finally, Clarity Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 697.0% during the fourth quarter. Clarity Financial LLC now owns 471,127 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $19,189,000 after buying an additional 412,018 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 price target for the company. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Scotiabank cut their price objective on Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a "sector outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $49.97.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several articles continue to frame Verizon as a long-term value name, highlighting its relatively low valuation and income appeal for investors looking for defensive cash flow. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage commentary also points to bullish expectations for Verizon’s FY2026 earnings, reinforcing the idea that the company may be able to maintain stable profitability. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is being mentioned in broader “stocks to watch” coverage ahead of a busy earnings week, but this is more of a market context story than a company-specific catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Verizon preparing its network for record-setting traffic during the first-ever World Cup halftime show underscores operational readiness, but it is unlikely to materially move the stock on its own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada cut its price target on Verizon from $48 to $46 while keeping a “sector perform” rating, a sign that analysts see limited upside near term and that may be weighing on shares. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern also remains centered on whether Verizon can fully protect its dividend, suggesting the market is still sensitive to debt and payout sustainability risks. Article Title

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ opened at $43.51 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average is $45.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.13. The company has a market capitalization of $181.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous 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 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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 payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Verizon Communications Company 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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