HighTower Advisors LLC Raises Stake in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors increased its Verizon stake by 2.3% in the second quarter, adding 144,734 shares to own 6.48 million shares valued at approximately $274.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 62.06% of Verizon.
• Verizon reported quarterly EPS of $1.30, ahead of the $1.27 consensus, while revenue of $34.25 billion fell short of estimates and declined 0.7% year over year. Management guided for fiscal 2026 EPS of $4.99–$5.04.
• Analysts maintain a broadly neutral view, with eight Buy ratings and 12 Holds producing a consensus “Hold” rating and a $50.97 price target. Verizon shares recently opened at $50.15, near their 12-month high of $51.68.

HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 2.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,481,407 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 144,734 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.16% of Verizon Communications worth $274,423,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Gill Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 74.6% in the second quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 620 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares during the period. Robinswood Financial LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors lifted its holdings 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 worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Verizon Communications stock opened at $50.15 on Monday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $46.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The company has a market cap of $208.36 billion, a PE ratio of 13.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.26. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Moffett Nathanson decreased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $50.97.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.50, for a total value of $55,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 107,666 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,437,133. The trade was a 1.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 3,300 shares of company stock worth $164,164 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

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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