Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Purchased by Meyer Handelman Co.

Key Points

• Meyer Handelman Co. increased its Verizon stake by 2.9% in the first quarter, holding 1.25 million shares worth about $62.5 million at quarter-end.
• Verizon reported Q1 earnings of $1.28 per share, topping estimates, while revenue rose 2.7% year over year to $34.44 billion. The company also reaffirmed its outlook, with FY 2026 EPS guidance set at 4.950–4.990.
• Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 6.1%. Analysts currently have a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $50.59.

Meyer Handelman Co. grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 2.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,245,243 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 35,395 shares during the period. Verizon Communications comprises 1.9% of Meyer Handelman Co.'s portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Meyer Handelman Co.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $62,511,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.9%

VZ stock opened at $46.07 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $46.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.83. The stock has a market cap of $192.38 billion, a PE ratio of 11.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24.

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 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 period last year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is 69.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VZ. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. One 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.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon remains a popular dividend stock, with investors still attracted to its roughly 6% yield and defensive profile. Why Johnson & Johnson, Altria, Verizon, and Other Safe Dividend Stocks Climbed Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Some market commentary continues to frame Verizon as a potential income play, with its high yield appealing to investors seeking stability rather than growth. Verizon Communications (VZ) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s latest earnings were solid, with the company recently beating EPS estimates, which may help support the stock’s valuation over time.
• Negative Sentiment: S&P Dow Jones Indices said Verizon will be removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average and replaced by Alphabet, reducing its visibility in the blue-chip benchmark. Alphabet Wins a Seat at the Dow
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also reacting to the fact that Verizon’s lower share price gave it only a small weighting in the price-weighted Dow, reinforcing concerns that the company has become less relevant to the index. Could Nike Get the Boot from the Dow? Why Berkshire Hathaway Might Take Its Place.

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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