Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich trimmed its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 14.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 379,562 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 63,150 shares during the period. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $19,054,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in VZ. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,357,158,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Verizon Communications by 31.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,286,423,000 after buying an additional 7,509,055 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $9,080,810,000 after buying an additional 7,461,335 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $4,747,930,000 after buying an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after acquiring an additional 5,497,598 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Verizon Communications Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $42.47 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $177.32 billion, a PE ratio of 10.36, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.26. 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 Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68. The business's 50 day moving average is $46.29 and its 200-day moving average is $45.98.
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.Verizon Communications's revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.
Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.7%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.02%.
Key Verizon Communications News
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo assigned Verizon an equal weight rating with a $43 price target, which is slightly above recent trading levels and suggests limited downside from current prices. Benzinga coverage
- Positive Sentiment: Barclays kept an equal weight view and only modestly cut its target to $45, indicating analysts still see some fair value in the stock despite the pullback. Benzinga coverage
- Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted Verizon’s high-yield dividend appeal and argued the stock may still look attractive to income investors after its decline. 3 High-Yield Dividends That Pay You Soon (But You Must Act Quickly)
- Neutral Sentiment: BT Group and Verizon’s new 50:50 global enterprise joint venture is being watched as a possible boost to cash flow, but investors are still waiting to see the financial impact. BT–Verizon Joint Venture article
- Neutral Sentiment: Verizon continues to be viewed as a value stock after its pullback, with commentary noting broadband gains, AI initiatives, and convergence strategy could support longer-term growth. Verizon Stock Underperforms Industry in a Year: Buy, Sell or Hold?
- Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo and other analysts flagged Starlink as a new competitive threat, raising concerns about pressure on Verizon’s fixed wireless and postpaid growth. SpaceX's Starlink Puts Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile Under the Microscope
- Negative Sentiment: Several articles noted Verizon has underperformed peers and the broader industry over the past year, reinforcing the market’s cautious view. Zacks coverage
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VZ. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective 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. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. 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 MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.28.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on VZ
Verizon Communications Profile
(
Free Report)
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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