Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Acquired by USS Investment Management Ltd

Key Points

• USS Investment Management Ltd increased its Verizon stake by 4.6% in the first quarter, buying 31,354 more shares and bringing its total holding to 713,156 shares worth about $35.8 million.
• Verizon’s latest quarterly results topped EPS expectations, with earnings of $1.28 per share versus the $1.21 consensus, though revenue of $34.44 billion came in slightly below estimates.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, equating to an annualized yield of about 6.7%; analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Moderate Buy with a $50.59 price target.

USS Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 4.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 31,354 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $35,790,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $113,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,426,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $257,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the period. Triton Wealth Management PLLC raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $377,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the period. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $399,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $42.37 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.91. The company has a market capitalization of $176.92 billion, a PE ratio of 10.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. The firm's quarterly 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s BT Group joint venture could improve its international enterprise reach and create a more scalable global connectivity platform. Reuters: BT, Verizon announce joint venture for international enterprise units
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to debate whether the Dow removal is a temporary index-rebalancing event or a sign of weaker long-term sentiment toward Verizon. Motley Fool: Verizon Gets Booted from the Dow Jones Industrial Average
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon was removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average, prompting selling pressure from index funds and signaling a lower profile among blue-chip stocks. Yahoo Finance: Why Verizon Shares Are Trading Lower Today
• Negative Sentiment: The BT joint venture comes with added transformation costs, and Verizon disclosed it could take up to an $800 million hit tied to the deal. Stocktwits: Verizon Flags Up To $800M BT Group JV Hit
• Negative Sentiment: Investor worries are also rising that SpaceX could challenge legacy wireless carriers, adding competitive pressure to Verizon’s long-term growth outlook. Barrons: SpaceX Might Bring Mobile Phone to Market

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.