Sunbelt Securities Inc. Sells 23,205 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Sunbelt Securities Inc. lowered its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 37.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,218 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 23,205 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $1,969,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Lam Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors raised 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 buying an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Verizon Communications stock opened at $47.21 on Thursday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $45.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market cap of $197.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.29, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.22 EPS. The business's revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.70%.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s second-quarter results showed adjusted earnings of $1.30 per share, ahead of the $1.27 consensus, while profit increased year over year. The stock also remains inexpensive relative to communications peers, trading at a low forward earnings multiple and offering a dividend yield above 6%. Verizon After Earnings: Cheap Stock or Value Trap?
• Positive Sentiment: Bain Capital and Tillman Global Holdings announced a $1.5 billion investment in Eaton Fiber, intended to fund Ripple Fiber’s acquisition and accelerate Verizon’s fiber broadband expansion across the United States. The investment could support Verizon’s fixed-wireless and fiber growth without representing a direct funding burden for Verizon. Bain Capital and Tillman Global Holdings Announce $1.5 Billion Investment in Eaton Fiber
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised several price targets, including TD Cowen’s increase to $56 and Morgan Stanley’s increase to $52. Recent commentary also points to improved subscriber growth, lower churn, bundling gains, and potential future revenue from AI infrastructure and data-center connectivity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s earnings beat was tempered by revenue of $34.25 billion, below the $35.16 billion consensus, with revenue down year over year. Analysts remain divided over whether the stock’s discount reflects attractive value or persistent growth concerns. With a 6% Yield, Is Verizon Stock a Buy as Turnaround Continues?
• Negative Sentiment: The immediate pressure came from reports that SpaceX is exploring urban-grade wireless spectrum through acquisitions or a potential federal auction bid. Investors fear a direct satellite-to-mobile competitor could challenge Verizon’s pricing power, customer retention, and market share, weighing on major U.S. wireless carriers. AT&T and Verizon Tumble as Musk’s SpaceX Plots Direct Mobile Threat

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VZ has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays upped their price objective 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. TD Cowen upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $50.84.

Verizon Communications Company 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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