Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company reduced its Verizon stake by 11.9% in the first quarter, selling 498,323 shares and retaining 3.68 million shares valued at approximately $184.9 million. Institutional investors still own about 62.1% of Verizon.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with nine Buy ratings and twelve Holds; Verizon’s average price target is $50.84 versus a recent share price of $48.23.
• Verizon beat quarterly earnings expectations with $1.30 EPS, although revenue fell short of estimates and declined 0.7% year over year. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075, equivalent to a 5.9% annualized yield.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lessened its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 11.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,683,276 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 498,323 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned approximately 0.09% of Verizon Communications worth $184,900,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Verizon Communications by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,759,000 after purchasing an additional 16,704 shares in the last quarter. United Bank lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 11.5% during the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $339,000 after buying an additional 806 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 312.0% during the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,023,000 after buying an additional 17,901 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 17.2% during the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,779,000 after buying an additional 6,034 shares during the period. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.2% during the second quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $389,000 after buying an additional 443 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Moffett Nathanson cut their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 20th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Scotiabank raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.84.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.9%

VZ opened at $48.23 on Wednesday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $45.40 and its 200-day moving average is $46.35. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $201.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business's quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is presently 73.70%.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s second-quarter performance showed improving wireless subscriber growth, lower churn, reduced promotional costs, stronger broadband additions, and robust cash flow. Management raised its 2026 financial and free-cash-flow outlook, strengthening the investment case for earnings growth and dividend coverage. VZ Q2 Earnings Call Signals Faster Growth From Churn Gains
• Positive Sentiment: A more than $1 billion dark-fiber agreement with Alphabet, along with Verizon’s AI Connect initiative, could provide a new source of revenue from AI infrastructure and connectivity. Management expects more meaningful revenue and margin contributions beginning next year. Verizon May Be an AI Infrastructure Stock Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: At least six analysts raised their price targets following the earnings update. TD Cowen increased its target to $56 and kept a Buy rating, while Scotiabank raised its target to $52.50 and maintained Sector Outperform. The improved outlook has also prompted a bullish rating upgrade from Seeking Alpha. VZ Stock Is Up 22% This Year
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expanding 5G, fiber, converged services, and AI connectivity to diversify beyond traditional wireless. These investments could support long-term growth, but their returns depend on successful execution and continued demand. How Verizon is Positioning Itself for the Next Wave of AI Connectivity
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts still see limited upside at the current level. Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Barclays, and RBC retained Equal Weight or Sector Perform ratings, with targets ranging from $46 to $52. Competitive pressure and the need to sustain subscriber momentum remain key risks.

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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