PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators Makes New Investment in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators opened a new position in Verizon during the fourth quarter, buying 616,206 shares valued at about $25.1 million. The stake represents 0.9% of its portfolio and is its 14th-largest holding.
• Verizon reported quarterly earnings of $1.28 per share, beating estimates, while revenue came in at $34.44 billion, slightly below expectations. The company also lifted its FY 2026 EPS guidance to $4.95-$4.99.
• Verizon announced a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 6.2%. Analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $50.59.

PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 616,206 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock, valued at approximately $25,098,000. Verizon Communications comprises 0.9% of PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators' holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Avanza Fonder AB raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Avanza Fonder AB now owns 331,962 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $13,521,000 after acquiring an additional 17,495 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 14.0% in the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 379,174 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $16,665,000 after purchasing an additional 46,699 shares during the last quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 23.5% in the fourth quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 78,172 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $3,184,000 after purchasing an additional 14,862 shares during the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 18.4% in the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 140,981 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $6,196,000 after purchasing an additional 21,915 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2.8% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 3,667,402 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $161,182,000 after purchasing an additional 99,400 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $45.39 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The company has a market capitalization of $189.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.24. The business has a 50-day moving average of $47.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $45.27. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. 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 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on VZ. Citigroup upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Dbs Bank downgraded Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

More Verizon Communications News

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

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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