M Holdings Securities Inc. Purchases Shares of 67,447 Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• M Holdings Securities Inc. opened a new position in Verizon during the fourth quarter, buying 67,447 shares valued at about $2.75 million.
• Verizon recently reported earnings of $1.28 per share, beating estimates, while revenue came in at $34.44 billion and rose 2.7% year over year. The company also issued FY 2026 EPS guidance of 4.950 to 4.990.
• Verizon remains attractive to income investors, declaring a $0.7075 quarterly dividend that annualizes to a 6.0% yield. Analysts currently view the stock as a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $50.59.

M Holdings Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 67,447 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock, valued at approximately $2,747,000.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter worth $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 448 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s shares have been rising alongside a broader market pullback, suggesting investors are favoring the stock’s defensive characteristics and income appeal. Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage is emphasizing Verizon’s fiber expansion and its potential to benefit from rising AI, cloud, and data-center connectivity demand, which supports the long-term growth case for VZ. Can Verizon's Fiber Expansion Strategy Benefit From Rising AI Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon continues to be framed as a compelling dividend stock for income-focused investors, which can attract buyers seeking stable cash flow and relatively low volatility. 3 Dividend Stocks Built for Retirement to Buy in June
• Neutral Sentiment: Several comparison articles pitted Verizon against AT&T, T-Mobile, and AST SpaceMobile, keeping the stock in focus but not adding a clear new catalyst by themselves. VZ vs. ASTS: Which Connectivity Stock is the Better Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon has also seen increased investor attention online, which can reflect growing interest but does not necessarily signal a fundamental change. Investors Heavily Search Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ): Here is What You Need to Know

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ opened at $46.95 on Thursday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $47.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $45.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a market cap of $196.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.45, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.24. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VZ. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.59.

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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