Andra AP fonden Sells 499,700 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Andra AP fonden cut its Verizon stake by 39.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 499,700 shares and leaving it with 766,100 shares valued at about $31.2 million.
• Verizon’s latest earnings topped EPS estimates, reporting $1.28 per share versus expectations of $1.21, while revenue came in at $34.44 billion and rose 2.7% year over year.
• The company continues to appeal to income investors with a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, equal to a roughly 6.0% annualized yield, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $50.59.

Andra AP fonden decreased its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 39.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 766,100 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 499,700 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $31,203,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $257,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $377,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $399,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC now owns 14,891 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $607,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 27,471 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,119,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

NYSE:VZ opened at $47.04 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $196.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.47, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $47.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.45. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Scotiabank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and increased their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several recent commentaries argue Verizon looks undervalued, citing its roughly 6% dividend yield, strong free-cash-flow generation, and defensive appeal in a volatile market. One note also highlights raised 2026 guidance, mid-single-digit EPS growth expectations, and robust postpaid net adds as signs of improving operating momentum. Article: Verizon: A Unique Opportunity In An Expensive Market
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on Verizon’s fiber expansion, including the Frontier acquisition, which should broaden its broadband footprint and improve its competitive position versus satellite-based connectivity rivals and other wireless peers. Article: Verizon: Satellite Pessimism Overly Done - Rich Upside And Income Potential Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: A market note said Verizon rose while the broader market dipped, reinforcing its image as a defensive stock that can hold up when investors rotate toward steadier income names. Article: Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly lowered its FY2027 EPS estimate for Verizon, but the change was minimal and the firm kept a Hold rating, suggesting only a modest impact on the stock. Source: MarketBeat analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Other recent articles compare Verizon with AT&T and AST SpaceMobile, but these pieces are mostly relative-value discussions rather than direct catalysts for VZ. Article: VZ vs. ASTS: Which Connectivity Stock is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns that Verizon still faces limits to future profitability improvement, meaning investors may want to temper expectations even though the stock has defensive qualities. Article: Verizon: A Good Defensive Play In Times Of Market Exuberance

About Verizon Communications

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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