Sei Investments Co. Acquires 1,339,580 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Sei Investments Co. increased its Verizon stake by 30.6% in the first quarter, buying 1.34 million additional shares and bringing its total holding to 5.72 million shares worth about $287.1 million.
• Wall Street remains cautious on Verizon: analysts now have a consensus Hold rating, with a consensus price target of $50.03, while several firms recently trimmed or reiterated modest targets.
• Verizon is trading around $44.29 after reporting better-than-expected quarterly EPS, and it continues to attract income investors with a 6.4% dividend yield; however, the company is also undergoing restructuring and facing mixed sentiment ahead of upcoming earnings.

Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 30.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,718,859 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 1,339,580 shares during the quarter. Sei Investments Co. owned about 0.14% of Verizon Communications worth $287,081,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in VZ. Keynote Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.8% in the 1st quarter. Keynote Financial Services LLC now owns 53,684 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $2,695,000 after buying an additional 5,662 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at $210,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in Verizon Communications by 2.1% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 2,936,315 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $147,403,000 after acquiring an additional 59,102 shares during the last quarter. GSG Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 6.3% in the first quarter. GSG Advisors LLC now owns 5,658 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $284,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares during the period. Finally, Wealthspire Retirement LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.6% in the first quarter. Wealthspire Retirement LLC now owns 7,173 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $360,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $50.03.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.2%

VZ stock opened at $44.29 on Thursday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $45.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.18. The stock has a market cap of $184.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.80, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its 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 net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 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 6.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.02%.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon launched the Gizmo Watch 4 for families, a child-safety-focused wearable that could help deepen its connected devices ecosystem and add incremental service revenue. Verizon (VZ) Launches Gizmo Watch 4 For Families Focused On Child Safety
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is offering preorders for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 lineup and new Galaxy wearables, which may support device upgrades and customer retention through attractive financing and bundle deals. Samsung's next-generation Z Fold meets simplicity & value on Verizon
• Positive Sentiment: Some coverage continues to frame Verizon as an income stock worth holding, with investors drawn to its high dividend yield and defensive cash-flow profile. Retire on Dividends Alone: The Super-High-Yield Stocks Boomers Are Buying and Never Selling
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are mixed ahead of Verizon’s Q2 earnings, with bullish comments about valuation and FIFA-related momentum offset by concerns about 5G spending, competition, and discounting. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Verizon Stock Before Q2 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is shrinking its retail footprint by selling 274 stores and cutting 500 office jobs, part of a broader restructuring that may improve efficiency but also signals pressure in the core business. Verizon To Sell 274 Stores, Cut 500 Office Jobs In Restructuring
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly issued a pessimistic forecast for Verizon, reinforcing concerns that earnings and growth expectations may be under pressure heading into results. Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon’s planned cuts of 3,000 jobs and the handoff of 274 stores to franchisees highlight a significant restructuring effort, which can raise investor worries about demand, margins, and business stability. Verizon Is Cutting 3,000 Jobs and Handing 274 Stores to Franchisees Right Before July 24 Earnings. Is the 6.5% Dividend Still Safe?

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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