Emerald Investment Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 31.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 111,773 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 26,728 shares during the quarter. Emerald Investment Advisers LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,732,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $9,080,810,000 after buying an additional 7,461,335 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $4,168,080,000 after acquiring an additional 867,694 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 15.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $3,117,471,000 after acquiring an additional 8,289,877 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $2,357,158,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity at Verizon Communications
In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total value of $55,066.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 108,766 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,444,825.96. The trade was a 1.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s approximately 5.6% dividend yield and reputation for relatively stable cash flow are attracting income investors as markets debate interest rates. The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, or $2.83 annualized. Is Verizon gaining defensive appeal?
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets remain modestly supportive, with recent targets ranging from $52 to $56 and nine analysts carrying Buy ratings. Verizon’s strong three-year total return and earnings guidance of approximately $4.99-$5.04 per share also provide a constructive backdrop for shareholders. Verizon stock looks cheap on earnings
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is inconclusive: Verizon trades at roughly 13 times earnings, which appears inexpensive for a large telecom, but its recent 77.2% three-year return means some of that value may already be reflected in the share price. The consensus analyst rating remains Hold, with an average target near $50.84.
- Negative Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares for approximately $55,066. The transaction reduced his holdings by about 1% and was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, making it a limited and less concerning signal, but it nevertheless adds modest selling pressure. Verizon CEO sells shares
- Negative Sentiment: Residents of Spring Lake, New Jersey, are opposing a proposed Verizon 5G installation on boardwalk pavilions. The dispute is local and unlikely to materially affect Verizon’s financial results, but it highlights permitting and community-relations risks associated with network expansion. Jersey Shore residents oppose Verizon 5G towers
Verizon Communications Stock Performance
VZ opened at $49.37 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. The company has a market cap of $205.13 billion, a PE ratio of 12.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.25. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $45.81 and a 200-day moving average of $47.40. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68.
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.22 EPS. The firm's revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Verizon Communications Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were given a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.70%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $50.84.
Read Our Latest Analysis on VZ
About Verizon Communications
(
Free Report)
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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