Aviva PLC Boosts Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Aviva PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 5.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,590,298 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 190,065 shares during the quarter. Aviva PLC owned 0.09% of Verizon Communications worth $146,233,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.2%

VZ opened at $47.04 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $196.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.47, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $47.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $45.45.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

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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