Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Acquired by Diversify Wealth Management LLC

Key Points

• Diversify Wealth Management LLC more than doubled its Verizon stake in the first quarter, increasing holdings by 105.2% to 316,425 shares valued at about $14.75 million.
• Verizon’s stock was down 0.2% to $42.14, but the company recently reported better-than-expected EPS of $1.28 on $34.44 billion in revenue and continues to offer a 6.7% dividend yield.
• Wall Street remains cautious overall: analysts currently rate Verizon a Hold on average, though several firms have nudged price targets higher and the stock still has strong institutional ownership at 62.06%.

Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 105.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 316,425 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 162,227 shares during the period. Diversify Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $14,749,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. R. W. Roge & Company Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter worth approximately $219,000. Carnegie Investment Counsel boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.8% during the first quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 840,198 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $39,921,000 after purchasing an additional 30,698 shares in the last quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 15.4% in the first quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp now owns 26,842 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,347,000 after purchasing an additional 3,576 shares during the last quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 553,850 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $27,803,000 after buying an additional 10,373 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 101,378 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $5,089,000 after buying an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE VZ traded down $0.10 on Friday, reaching $42.14. The company had a trading volume of 27,697,528 shares, compared to its average volume of 33,171,120. The firm has a market capitalization of $175.95 billion, a PE ratio of 10.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.26. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $46.10 and a 200-day moving average of $45.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. 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 issued 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%.Verizon Communications's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business 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 of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.7%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $50.28.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is being highlighted as a potentially attractive dividend stock, with Barron’s saying now may be a good time to buy income-oriented names like VZ as yields look more compelling. Why Verizon, Clorox and More Dividend Stocks Are Flashing a Buy Signal
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon won a new automotive connectivity contract through its KDDI partnership, becoming the U.S. connectivity provider for newly manufactured BMW Group vehicles, which could support growth in its enterprise and IoT business. Verizon named U.S. connectivity provider for newly manufactured BMW Group vehicles through KDDI partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts also flagged Verizon as a telecom name worth owning, noting its fiber and wireless expansion strategy and suggesting it may have a good setup for its next earnings report. T or VZ: Which Telecom Stock Deserves a Place in Your Portfolio?
• Positive Sentiment: Another recent report said Verizon has a strong earnings surprise history and could beat estimates again, which tends to support investor confidence ahead of results. Will Verizon (VZ) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs won asset-management mandates tied to Verizon’s retirement assets, but this is mainly a financial-services arrangement rather than an operational development for Verizon. Goldman Sachs wins $70 billion in asset management deals with Verizon, Lockheed Martin
• Neutral Sentiment: Some broader commentary on enterprise internet reliability and telecom competition, including Starlink-related pressure, may add noise to the sector outlook, but it is not a direct negative catalyst for Verizon itself. Verizon NYSE: VZ Dow Exit Deepens Starlink Market Pressure

About Verizon Communications

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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