IFM Investors Pty Ltd Boosts Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its Verizon stake by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 54,366 additional shares and bringing its total to 914,258 shares worth about $37.2 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to Verizon positions, and hedge funds and other institutions now own 62.06% of the company’s stock.
• Verizon continues to draw attention for its 6.0% dividend yield and defensive qualities, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $50.59.

IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 914,258 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 54,366 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $37,238,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth about $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $47.04 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $47.22 and a 200 day moving average of $45.45. The stock has a market cap of $196.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

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

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

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

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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