Cetera Investment Advisers Purchases 59,102 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its Verizon stake by 2.1% in the first quarter, buying 59,102 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 2.94 million shares worth about $147.4 million.
• Verizon’s latest quarter showed earnings beat expectations, with EPS of $1.28 versus the $1.21 consensus, though revenue of $34.44 billion came in slightly below forecasts.
• The company continues to appeal to income-focused investors thanks to its 6.4% dividend yield, but it is also facing mixed analyst sentiment and a significant restructuring that includes store sales and job cuts.

Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 2.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,936,315 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 59,102 shares during the quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers owned about 0.07% of Verizon Communications worth $147,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Lam Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% during 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. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon launched the Gizmo Watch 4 for families, a child-safety-focused wearable that could help deepen its connected devices ecosystem and add incremental service revenue. Verizon (VZ) Launches Gizmo Watch 4 For Families Focused On Child Safety
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is offering preorders for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 lineup and new Galaxy wearables, which may support device upgrades and customer retention through attractive financing and bundle deals. Samsung's next-generation Z Fold meets simplicity & value on Verizon
• Positive Sentiment: Some coverage continues to frame Verizon as an income stock worth holding, with investors drawn to its high dividend yield and defensive cash-flow profile. Retire on Dividends Alone: The Super-High-Yield Stocks Boomers Are Buying and Never Selling
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are mixed ahead of Verizon’s Q2 earnings, with bullish comments about valuation and FIFA-related momentum offset by concerns about 5G spending, competition, and discounting. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Verizon Stock Before Q2 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is shrinking its retail footprint by selling 274 stores and cutting 500 office jobs, part of a broader restructuring that may improve efficiency but also signals pressure in the core business. Verizon To Sell 274 Stores, Cut 500 Office Jobs In Restructuring
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly issued a pessimistic forecast for Verizon, reinforcing concerns that earnings and growth expectations may be under pressure heading into results. Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon’s planned cuts of 3,000 jobs and the handoff of 274 stores to franchisees highlight a significant restructuring effort, which can raise investor worries about demand, margins, and business stability. Verizon Is Cutting 3,000 Jobs and Handing 274 Stores to Franchisees Right Before July 24 Earnings. Is the 6.5% Dividend Still Safe?

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $44.29 on Thursday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $45.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.18. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The company has a market capitalization of $184.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.80, 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 current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

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 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 firm 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 company earned $1.19 earnings per share. The business'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. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is 69.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VZ. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $50.03.

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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