Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI Acquires 203,997 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its Verizon stake by 14.7% in the second quarter, purchasing 203,997 shares to reach 1.59 million shares valued at approximately $67.5 million. Institutional investors collectively own 62.06% of Verizon.
• Verizon’s latest quarterly results showed adjusted EPS of $1.30, ahead of estimates, but revenue fell 0.7% year over year to $34.25 billion, below expectations. Shares recently traded at $50.19, near the company’s 12-month high.
• Verizon maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.7075, equivalent to $2.83 annually and a 5.6% yield. Analysts collectively rate the stock “Hold,” with an average price target of $50.84.

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 14.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,593,486 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 203,997 shares during the period. Verizon Communications makes up approximately 1.3% of Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI's portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $67,468,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Robinswood Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Lam Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the fourth 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. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its stake 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 buying an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $50.19 on Wednesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $45.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The company has a market cap of $208.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.07, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.25.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications's revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VZ has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Moffett Nathanson dropped their price target on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 20th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.84.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 109,866 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,348,276.88. This trade represents a 0.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

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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