Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab Purchases New Shares in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab disclosed a new first-quarter stake in Verizon, buying 241,314 shares valued at about $12.1 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mixed: Verizon has a Hold consensus rating, with analysts assigning 9 Buy ratings and 11 Hold ratings, and the average price target sits at $50.03.
• Verizon reported Q1 EPS of $1.28, topping expectations, and also reaffirmed FY 2026 EPS guidance of 4.950-4.990 while paying a quarterly dividend that annualizes to a 6.5% yield.

Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 241,314 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock, valued at approximately $12,114,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of VZ. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the fourth 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 during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on VZ. Dbs Bank cut Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.03.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several recent pieces frame Verizon as a value stock, highlighting its relatively low valuation and dividend appeal for income-focused investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts cited FIFA-related network demand and stronger usage trends as potential near-term catalysts ahead of second-quarter earnings. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is preparing for heavy network traffic around the first-ever World Cup halftime show, which reinforces its network scale but is not clearly a direct earnings driver yet. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC lowered its price target on Verizon to $46 from $48 and kept a “sector perform” rating, signaling cautious sentiment rather than a major change in the thesis.
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon plans to cut about 3,000 jobs and sell 274 stores to franchisees, underscoring ongoing restructuring and raising questions about growth and margins. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Another report said Verizon will sell 274 stores and cut 500 office jobs, adding to concerns that management is leaning on cost reductions rather than clear revenue acceleration. Article Title

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $43.76 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.15. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $182.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.67, a PEG ratio of 1.06 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 released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.02%.

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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