Ieq Capital LLC Sells 44,666 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Ieq Capital reduced its Verizon stake by 23.3% in the second quarter, selling 44,666 shares and retaining 146,799 shares valued at approximately $6.2 million. Institutional investors own 62.06% of Verizon’s stock.
• Verizon reported quarterly EPS of $1.30, beating estimates, while revenue fell 0.7% year over year to $34.25 billion. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $4.99–$5.04.
• The stock offers a roughly 5.7% dividend yield, but analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $50.84. CEO Kyle Malady also sold 1,100 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.

Ieq Capital LLC lessened its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 23.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 146,799 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 44,666 shares during the quarter. Ieq Capital LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $6,216,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Callan Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the second quarter. Callan Family Office LLC now owns 75,637 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $3,202,000 after purchasing an additional 3,114 shares during the last quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 20.8% in the second quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management now owns 10,718 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $454,000 after purchasing an additional 1,849 shares during the last quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 6.3% in the second quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC now owns 6,383 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $270,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares during the last quarter. Blue Capital Inc. grew its position in Verizon Communications by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Capital Inc. now owns 8,750 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $370,000 after purchasing an additional 631 shares during the period. Finally, Patron Partners LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. Patron Partners LLC now owns 23,934 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,013,000 after purchasing an additional 1,141 shares during the period. 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: 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 Price Performance

NYSE VZ opened at $49.37 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average is $45.81 and its 200 day moving average is $47.40. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. 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 capitalization 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.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is currently 73.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.84.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total transaction of $55,066.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 108,766 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,444,825.96. This trade represents a 1.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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