Parnassus Investments LLC Has $125.19 Million Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Parnassus Investments LLC increased its Verizon stake by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 3,073,760 shares valued at about $125.19 million.
• Several other hedge funds also added to Verizon positions, and overall institutional ownership stands at 62.06% of the stock.
• Verizon’s latest results topped EPS estimates at $1.28 per share, and the company reiterated full-year guidance while maintaining a 6.0% dividend yield with a quarterly payout of $0.7075 per share.

Parnassus Investments LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,073,760 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 33,033 shares during the period. Parnassus Investments LLC owned about 0.07% of Verizon Communications worth $125,194,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the period. Triton Wealth Management PLLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Clearstead Trust LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. CWS Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC now owns 14,891 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $607,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its position in Verizon Communications by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 27,471 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,119,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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 report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ stock opened at $47.04 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $47.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.45. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $196.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.47, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The company had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is 69.02%.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several recent commentaries argue Verizon looks undervalued, citing its roughly 6% dividend yield, strong free-cash-flow generation, and defensive appeal in a volatile market. One note also highlights raised 2026 guidance, mid-single-digit EPS growth expectations, and robust postpaid net adds as signs of improving operating momentum. Article: Verizon: A Unique Opportunity In An Expensive Market
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on Verizon’s fiber expansion, including the Frontier acquisition, which should broaden its broadband footprint and improve its competitive position versus satellite-based connectivity rivals and other wireless peers. Article: Verizon: Satellite Pessimism Overly Done - Rich Upside And Income Potential Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: A market note said Verizon rose while the broader market dipped, reinforcing its image as a defensive stock that can hold up when investors rotate toward steadier income names. Article: Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly lowered its FY2027 EPS estimate for Verizon, but the change was minimal and the firm kept a Hold rating, suggesting only a modest impact on the stock. Source: MarketBeat analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Other recent articles compare Verizon with AT&T and AST SpaceMobile, but these pieces are mostly relative-value discussions rather than direct catalysts for VZ. Article: VZ vs. ASTS: Which Connectivity Stock is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns that Verizon still faces limits to future profitability improvement, meaning investors may want to temper expectations even though the stock has defensive qualities. Article: Verizon: A Good Defensive Play In Times Of Market Exuberance

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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