Hilltop Holdings Inc. Has $3.59 Million Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Hilltop Holdings Inc. cut its Verizon position by 44.9% in the first quarter, leaving it with 71,534 shares worth about $3.59 million at the end of the period.
• Verizon reported Q2 EPS of $1.30, topping estimates, while also raising its full-year 2026 guidance for adjusted EPS, service revenue, and free cash flow. The company also highlighted stronger subscriber gains and improving cash generation.
• Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 6.1%, and increased its buyback target to as much as $4.5 billion.

Hilltop Holdings Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 44.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 71,534 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 58,395 shares during the quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $3,591,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. RKL Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $268,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $113,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,426,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 5.7%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $46.34 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $45.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $193.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.30, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. 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 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.22 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is 69.02%.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon beat Q2 adjusted EPS estimates at $1.30 versus $1.27 expected, helped by record EBITDA margins and stronger cash generation. Verizon earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 guidance for adjusted EPS, mobility and broadband service revenue, and free cash flow, signaling management confidence in the outlook. Reuters guidance article
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon posted better-than-expected subscriber momentum, including 184,000 postpaid phone additions and more than 550,000 total mobility and broadband net adds, showing the core business is improving. Verizon press release
• Positive Sentiment: Free cash flow rose 24.4% and Verizon expanded its full-year buyback target to as much as $4.5 billion, both supportive of shareholder returns. Verizon press release
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon also announced a more than $1 billion dark fiber deal with Google for AI data centers, suggesting potential upside from infrastructure demand and additional AI-related contracts. Reuters Google deal article
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue came in below Wall Street expectations and was slightly lower year over year, so top-line pressure is still a concern. Verizon earnings report
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was unusually heavy, with traders buying more call options than normal, which may reflect speculative bullish positioning rather than fundamental news. GuruFocus earnings call highlights

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on VZ shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. Scotiabank cut their price objective on Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a "sector outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $50.03.

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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