Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ is Private Management Group Inc.'s 7th Largest Position

Key Points

• Private Management Group Inc. increased its Verizon stake by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, bringing holdings to 1,072,444 shares valued at about $43.7 million. Verizon is now the fund’s 7th largest position and makes up roughly 1.3% of its portfolio.
• Wall Street remains cautiously positive on Verizon, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $50.59. Recent analyst moves included higher targets from Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, and Barclays, while Raymond James reiterated an outperform rating.
• Verizon reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.28 per share and raised FY2026 guidance, while also confirming a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share. The dividend implies an annualized yield of about 6.0%, reinforcing the stock’s appeal as an income play.

Private Management Group Inc. increased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,072,444 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 25,909 shares during the period. Verizon Communications comprises approximately 1.3% of Private Management Group Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Private Management Group Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $43,681,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,759,000 after acquiring an additional 16,704 shares in the last quarter. United Bank grew its position in Verizon Communications by 11.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $339,000 after acquiring an additional 806 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 312.0% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 17,901 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 17.2% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,779,000 after acquiring an additional 6,034 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP grew its position in Verizon Communications by 5.2% in the second quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $389,000 after acquiring an additional 443 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on VZ shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.59.

More 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

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of VZ stock opened at $47.04 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $196.43 billion, a PE ratio of 11.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $47.22 and a 200 day moving average of $45.45.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is 69.02%.

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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