Meyer Handelman Co. Increases Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Meyer Handelman Co. increased its Verizon stake by 2.7% in the second quarter, buying 33,318 additional shares for a total holding valued at approximately $54.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 62.06% of Verizon.
• Verizon reported quarterly EPS of $1.30, beating estimates by $0.03, but revenue declined 0.7% year over year and missed expectations. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $4.99–$5.04.
• Verizon continues to appeal to income investors with an annualized dividend of $2.83 and an approximately 5.7% yield, while analysts remain cautious with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $50.84 amid leverage, regulatory and valuation concerns.

Meyer Handelman Co. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 2.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,278,561 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 33,318 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications accounts for about 1.5% of Meyer Handelman Co.'s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Meyer Handelman Co.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $54,134,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,357,158,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 15.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $3,117,471,000 after buying an additional 8,289,877 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 31.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,286,423,000 after buying an additional 7,509,055 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $9,080,810,000 after acquiring an additional 7,461,335 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Verizon Communications stock opened at $49.25 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.27. The stock has a market cap of $204.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. 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 previous year, the company earned $1.22 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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 report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. TD Cowen upped their price target 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $50.84.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon announced plans to redeem $1.25 billion of 5.329% notes due in 2028 on September 21, 2026. Retiring the debt could reduce future interest expense and improve the company’s debt profile, although the redemption will require cash. Verizon to redeem debt securities on September 21, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s greater focus on fiber following its Frontier acquisition could support broadband subscriber growth, expand network scale and strengthen its competitive position over time. Verizon Leans Into Fiber After the Frontier Close
• Positive Sentiment: Income investors continue to find Verizon attractive because of its approximately 5.7% dividend yield and established dividend history. Recent quarterly earnings also exceeded EPS expectations by $0.03, while fiscal 2026 EPS guidance remains $4.99 to $5.04.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares worth $53,548 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The sale reduced his position by less than 1% and is unlikely to materially affect the investment case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains balanced: Verizon has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $50.84, close to its recent trading range.
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Verizon’s final appeal of a $47 million FCC fine related to customer location-data practices. The ruling ends Verizon’s effort to recover the penalty and highlights continuing privacy and regulatory-compliance risks. Verizon Loses Final Supreme Court Appeal Over $47 Million FCC Fine
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation commentary argues that VZ may be trading above estimated fair value, while its high leverage, low liquidity ratios and declining revenue remain concerns. Quarterly revenue fell 0.7% year over year and missed consensus estimates, limiting the upside case.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 109,866 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,348,276.88. This represents a 0.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Verizon Communications 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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