DJE Kapital AG Sells 40,276 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• DJE Kapital AG trimmed its Verizon stake by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 40,276 shares and leaving it with 1,668,820 shares worth about $67.6 million. Verizon remains a meaningful holding for the firm, accounting for roughly 1.9% of its portfolio.
• Verizon reported better-than-expected earnings of $1.28 per share, beating estimates, while revenue rose 2.7% year over year. The company also kept its FY2026 EPS guidance at 4.95-4.99 and is expected to pay a quarterly dividend yielding about 6.0% annualized.
• Investor sentiment around Verizon is mixed but generally constructive: analysts have a consensus Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $50.59, and recent commentary highlights its defensive appeal, strong free cash flow, and fiber expansion plans. At the same time, some analysts note limited room for profitability improvement.

DJE Kapital AG reduced its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 2.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,668,820 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 40,276 shares during the period. Verizon Communications makes up approximately 1.9% of DJE Kapital AG's holdings, making the stock its 21st largest holding. DJE Kapital AG's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $67,576,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of VZ. Compass Capital Corp MA ADV bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $177,000. ASO GROUP Ltd bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $332,000. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd grew its position in Verizon Communications by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 868,862 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $35,389,000 after acquiring an additional 20,082 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 160,922 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $6,554,000 after acquiring an additional 12,747 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aviva PLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,590,298 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $146,233,000 after acquiring an additional 190,065 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several recent commentaries argue Verizon looks undervalued, citing its roughly 6% dividend yield, strong free-cash-flow generation, and defensive appeal in a volatile market. One note also highlights raised 2026 guidance, mid-single-digit EPS growth expectations, and robust postpaid net adds as signs of improving operating momentum. Article: Verizon: A Unique Opportunity In An Expensive Market
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on Verizon’s fiber expansion, including the Frontier acquisition, which should broaden its broadband footprint and improve its competitive position versus satellite-based connectivity rivals and other wireless peers. Article: Verizon: Satellite Pessimism Overly Done - Rich Upside And Income Potential Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: A market note said Verizon rose while the broader market dipped, reinforcing its image as a defensive stock that can hold up when investors rotate toward steadier income names. Article: Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly lowered its FY2027 EPS estimate for Verizon, but the change was minimal and the firm kept a Hold rating, suggesting only a modest impact on the stock. Source: MarketBeat analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Other recent articles compare Verizon with AT&T and AST SpaceMobile, but these pieces are mostly relative-value discussions rather than direct catalysts for VZ. Article: VZ vs. ASTS: Which Connectivity Stock is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns that Verizon still faces limits to future profitability improvement, meaning investors may want to temper expectations even though the stock has defensive qualities. Article: Verizon: A Good Defensive Play In Times Of Market Exuberance

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ stock opened at $47.04 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average is $47.22 and its 200-day moving average is $45.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a market cap of $196.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is 69.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on VZ. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Company 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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