Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Bought by Advisors Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Advisors Capital Management increased its Verizon stake by 2.3% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 1.62 million shares valued at approximately $68.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 62.06% of Verizon’s stock.
• Verizon reported quarterly EPS of $1.30, exceeding estimates, although revenue of $34.25 billion declined 0.7% year over year and fell short of forecasts. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $4.99–$5.04.
• The stock offers a quarterly dividend of $0.7075, equivalent to a 5.7% annualized yield, but analysts maintain a consensus Hold rating with an average price target of $50.84. CEO Kyle Malady also sold 1,100 shares under a pre-arranged trading plan.

Advisors Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 2.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,615,732 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 36,202 shares during the quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $68,410,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $2,357,158,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 15.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $3,117,471,000 after purchasing an additional 8,289,877 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 31.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,286,423,000 after buying an additional 7,509,055 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $9,080,810,000 after acquiring an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $4,747,930,000 after acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s approximately 5.6% dividend yield and reputation for relatively stable cash flow are attracting income investors as markets debate interest rates. The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, or $2.83 annualized. Is Verizon gaining defensive appeal?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets remain modestly supportive, with recent targets ranging from $52 to $56 and nine analysts carrying Buy ratings. Verizon’s strong three-year total return and earnings guidance of approximately $4.99-$5.04 per share also provide a constructive backdrop for shareholders. Verizon stock looks cheap on earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is inconclusive: Verizon trades at roughly 13 times earnings, which appears inexpensive for a large telecom, but its recent 77.2% three-year return means some of that value may already be reflected in the share price. The consensus analyst rating remains Hold, with an average target near $50.84.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares for approximately $55,066. The transaction reduced his holdings by about 1% and was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, making it a limited and less concerning signal, but it nevertheless adds modest selling pressure. Verizon CEO sells shares
• Negative Sentiment: Residents of Spring Lake, New Jersey, are opposing a proposed Verizon 5G installation on boardwalk pavilions. The dispute is local and unlikely to materially affect Verizon’s financial results, but it highlights permitting and community-relations risks associated with network expansion. Jersey Shore residents oppose Verizon 5G towers

Verizon Communications Stock Down 1.6%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $49.37 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $45.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.40. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $205.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.86, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36.

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

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is 73.70%.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total transaction of $55,066.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 108,766 shares in the company, valued at $5,444,825.96. This represents a 1.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Moffett Nathanson dropped their target price on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 20th. TD Cowen raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $50.84.

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.

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source