Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Purchased by Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd

Key Points

• Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd sharply increased its Verizon stake by 421.1% in the first quarter, ending with 153,032 shares valued at about $7.68 million.
• Verizon reported better-than-expected earnings of $1.28 per share for the quarter, though revenue of $34.44 billion came in slightly below analyst estimates. The company also raised its FY 2026 EPS guidance to 4.950-4.990.
• Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, implying an annualized yield of 6.6%, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $50.59.

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 421.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 153,032 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 123,664 shares during the quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $7,682,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.0%

VZ opened at $42.57 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The business has a 50-day moving average of $46.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $45.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $177.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. The company's 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. On average, research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.02%.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to frame Verizon as an attractive value stock, with Zacks citing favorable style-score characteristics that may appeal to value-focused investors. Here's Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Strong Value Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s dividend profile is still a key support for the shares, with comparisons to AT&T emphasizing Verizon’s long record of dividend increases and its appeal to income investors. Better High-Yield Dividend Stock: Verizon or AT&T?
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon and BT Group announced a $4 billion international enterprise joint venture, which could expand Verizon’s global business services reach and improve growth prospects. Is Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Stock Positioned for Growth After $4B International Enterprise Partnership?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is getting more trading attention from retail investors, which may reflect renewed interest but does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street expects Verizon’s upcoming quarterly earnings to show modest profit growth, making the next report an important catalyst but not a clear surprise yet. What to Expect From Verizon Communications' Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage about Starlink’s push into mobile service raises longer-term competitive pressure on Verizon and other wireless carriers, even though major infrastructure hurdles remain. Starlink Dominates Internet From Space. Can It Disrupt AT&T and Verizon on the Ground?

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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