DJE Kapital AG Boosts Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• DJE Kapital AG nearly doubled its Verizon stake in the first quarter, buying 1.66 million more shares and bringing its total holdings to 3.33 million shares worth about $166.9 million.
• Verizon reported better-than-expected earnings for the quarter, with EPS of $1.28 versus estimates of $1.21, though revenue of $34.44 billion came in slightly below analyst expectations.
• The company reaffirmed its income appeal by declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, equal to a 6.5% annualized yield, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold.

DJE Kapital AG lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 99.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,328,343 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 1,659,523 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications comprises 3.7% of DJE Kapital AG's investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. DJE Kapital AG owned about 0.08% of Verizon Communications worth $166,912,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the period. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 448 shares during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.2%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $43.51 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The stock has a market cap of $181.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.61, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $45.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.13.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.5%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on VZ shares. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a "sector outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Dbs Bank downgraded Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $49.97.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several articles continue to frame Verizon as a long-term value name, highlighting its relatively low valuation and income appeal for investors looking for defensive cash flow. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage commentary also points to bullish expectations for Verizon’s FY2026 earnings, reinforcing the idea that the company may be able to maintain stable profitability. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is being mentioned in broader “stocks to watch” coverage ahead of a busy earnings week, but this is more of a market context story than a company-specific catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Verizon preparing its network for record-setting traffic during the first-ever World Cup halftime show underscores operational readiness, but it is unlikely to materially move the stock on its own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada cut its price target on Verizon from $48 to $46 while keeping a “sector perform” rating, a sign that analysts see limited upside near term and that may be weighing on shares. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern also remains centered on whether Verizon can fully protect its dividend, suggesting the market is still sensitive to debt and payout sustainability risks. Article Title

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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