Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ boosted its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 2.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,908,095 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 58,633 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications comprises approximately 0.8% of Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ's investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ owned about 0.07% of Verizon Communications worth $131,911,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,759,000 after buying an additional 16,704 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,691,099 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $147,053,000 after buying an additional 378,948 shares in the last quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 181,824 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $7,271,000 after buying an additional 18,741 shares in the last quarter. Voleon Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at $1,325,000. Finally, Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 81.0% in the 4th quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,277 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $381,000 after buying an additional 4,153 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Verizon Communications Price Performance
VZ opened at $44.26 on Thursday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $42.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.19. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $37.58 and a 12-month high of $47.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market cap of $186.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.32, a PEG ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.36.
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, July 21st. The cell phone carrier reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.61% and a net margin of 13.28%.The firm had revenue of $34.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.15 EPS. Verizon Communications's revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.636-4.728 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.
Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 10th were given a $0.6775 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 10th. This represents a $2.71 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.17%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VZ. Wall Street Zen upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Bank of America increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Arete Research upgraded Verizon Communications to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $47.35.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Profile
(
Free Report)
Verizon Communications Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of communications, technology, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental entities worldwide. It operates in two segments, Verizon Consumer Group (Consumer) and Verizon Business Group (Business).
Further Reading

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