O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Cuts Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• O Shaughnessy Asset Management trimmed its Verizon stake by 10.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 196,049 shares and leaving it with 1,631,883 shares valued at about $66.5 million.
• Verizon continues to attract attention for its income appeal, recently declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, or $2.83 annualized, for a yield of 6.2%.
• The company’s latest results showed earnings beat expectations with EPS of $1.28 versus $1.21 expected, while analysts currently hold a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a price target of $50.59.

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC decreased its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 10.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,631,883 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 196,049 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $66,467,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $257,000 after buying an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $399,000 after buying an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC now owns 14,891 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $607,000 after buying an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 27,471 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,119,000 after buying an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, reinforcing its reputation as a high-yield income stock and signaling stable cash returns to shareholders. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on June 4, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary noted Verizon has outperformed over the past several months on the back of subscriber gains, broadband growth, and AI-related initiatives, which may support the stock’s longer-term narrative. VZ Shares Rise 8.6% in Six Months: What's the Next Move for Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market pieces focused on Verizon’s valuation and dividend appeal, with some arguing the stock is still compelling for income investors while others question whether the upside is limited. Forget Wall Street’s Ultimate Telecom Value Trap and Buy the Real Free Cash Flow King
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s debt tender and exchange offers, along with broader capital-priority discussion, suggest management is actively managing leverage and liquidity, but the move is not an immediate fundamental catalyst. Do Verizon (VZ) Debt Tenders and Dividend Steadiness Hint at a Shifting Capital Priorities Playbook?
• Negative Sentiment: The Supreme Court’s decision in the FCC dispute increases Verizon’s regulatory risk and could lead to continued fines or enforcement actions, weighing on investor sentiment. US Supreme Court backs FCC in clash with wireless carriers over fines
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from Starlink and concerns about Verizon’s store/customer backlash have widened skepticism about the company’s growth outlook and valuation. Verizon Confronts Store Backlash And Starlink Threat As Valuation Gap Widens

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on VZ. Morgan Stanley boosted 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. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ opened at $45.39 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $189.53 billion, a PE ratio of 11.07, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $47.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.30. 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 posted its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

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.

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