Cibc World Market Inc. Increases Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Cibc World Market Inc. increased its Verizon stake by 15.3% in the fourth quarter, buying an additional 316,854 shares and bringing its total to 2,382,975 shares worth about $97.1 million.
• Verizon’s latest quarterly results were mixed: adjusted EPS of $1.28 beat estimates, but revenue of $34.44 billion came in slightly below expectations. The company also reiterated FY 2026 guidance of 4.950–4.990 EPS.
• Analysts currently view Verizon as a Moderate Buy, with a consensus price target of $50.59; meanwhile, the stock traded at $46.56 and remains near the middle of its 52-week range.

Cibc World Market Inc. raised its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 15.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,382,975 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 316,854 shares during the quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. owned 0.06% of Verizon Communications worth $97,059,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Greenspring Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $343,000. Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc. now owns 32,074 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,306,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% in 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. REAP Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 3,299 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $134,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WCG Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 40.7% in the 4th quarter. WCG Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 78,792 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $3,209,000 after purchasing an additional 22,793 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $46.56 on Thursday. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $47.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $194.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.24. 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 Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced 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 business had revenue of $34.44 billion for 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is actively managing its balance sheet by extending and updating tender offers and exchange offers for multiple series of notes, which could help optimize debt costs and improve financial flexibility over time. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Some investors continue to view Verizon as a relatively attractive dividend stock with a lower valuation compared with the broader market, supporting the case for income-focused buyers. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s latest earnings were mixed: EPS beat expectations, but revenue came in slightly below estimates, leaving sentiment balanced rather than clearly positive. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Operational commentary suggests Verizon is tightening in-store policies, which may be creating longer wait times and potentially frustrating customers at a time when service quality and retention matter more. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Rival T-Mobile is adding more free perks to fight churn, highlighting intense competition in wireless and raising concerns that Verizon may need to spend more to defend its subscriber base. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary also points to Verizon dipping more than the broader market, suggesting investors are cautious despite the company’s defensive profile. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VZ. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.59.

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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