Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Stock Holdings Lessened by Becker Capital Management Inc.

Becker Capital Management Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 4.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 502,773 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 21,811 shares during the period. Becker Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $21,287,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Robinswood Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth $27,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Moffett Nathanson cut their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $50.84.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $48.63 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $45.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.17. The company has a market cap of $202.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 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 Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68.

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

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.70%.

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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