Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Sells 478,206 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its Verizon stake by 4.0% in the first quarter, selling 478,206 shares and leaving it with 11.46 million shares valued at about $575.5 million.
• Verizon reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $1.28 EPS versus estimates of $1.21, though revenue came in slightly below forecasts at $34.44 billion.
• Analysts remain cautious overall: Verizon’s consensus rating is Hold with an average price target of $50.28, while the stock also continues to attract attention for its 6.7% dividend yield.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. cut its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 4.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,463,703 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 478,206 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned 0.27% of Verizon Communications worth $575,478,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lam Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Barclays reduced 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. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.28.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of VZ opened at $42.47 on Thursday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $46.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $177.32 billion, a PE ratio of 10.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. 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 (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. The company'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, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.7%. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is currently 69.02%.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo assigned Verizon an equal weight rating with a $43 price target, which is slightly above recent trading levels and suggests limited downside from current prices. Benzinga coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays kept an equal weight view and only modestly cut its target to $45, indicating analysts still see some fair value in the stock despite the pullback. Benzinga coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted Verizon’s high-yield dividend appeal and argued the stock may still look attractive to income investors after its decline. 3 High-Yield Dividends That Pay You Soon (But You Must Act Quickly)
• Neutral Sentiment: BT Group and Verizon’s new 50:50 global enterprise joint venture is being watched as a possible boost to cash flow, but investors are still waiting to see the financial impact. BT–Verizon Joint Venture article
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon continues to be viewed as a value stock after its pullback, with commentary noting broadband gains, AI initiatives, and convergence strategy could support longer-term growth. Verizon Stock Underperforms Industry in a Year: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo and other analysts flagged Starlink as a new competitive threat, raising concerns about pressure on Verizon’s fixed wireless and postpaid growth. SpaceX's Starlink Puts Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile Under the Microscope
• Negative Sentiment: Several articles noted Verizon has underperformed peers and the broader industry over the past year, reinforcing the market’s cautious view. Zacks coverage

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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