Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Increases Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Oppenheimer Asset Management increased its Verizon stake by 79.6% in the second quarter, acquiring 422,342 additional shares for a total holding of 952,731 shares valued at approximately $40.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 62.06% of Verizon.
• Verizon reported quarterly EPS of $1.30, beating estimates by $0.03, but revenue fell 0.7% year over year to $34.25 billion and missed expectations. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $4.99 to $5.04.
• Verizon continues to appeal to income investors with a 5.7% dividend yield, while analysts remain divided with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $50.84; risks include high leverage, weak liquidity, declining revenue and a $47 million FCC privacy fine.

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 79.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 952,731 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 422,342 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $40,339,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Plan Group Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 13.3% during the second quarter. Plan Group Financial LLC now owns 65,091 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 7,616 shares in the last quarter. PSI Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 10.0% in the 2nd quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 29,144 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,234,000 after purchasing an additional 2,645 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc. grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc. now owns 317,284 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $13,434,000 after buying an additional 25,156 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its position in Verizon Communications by 13.9% during the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 631,758 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $26,749,000 after buying an additional 77,303 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in Verizon Communications by 64.1% during the 2nd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 1,644,554 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $69,630,000 after buying an additional 642,350 shares in the last quarter. 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 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.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.2%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $49.25 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $45.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The firm 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. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications's revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors 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 was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is currently 73.70%.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 109,866 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,348,276.88. This represents a 0.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted 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. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.84.

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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