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WCG Wealth Advisors LLC Has $3.21 Million Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

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Key Points

  • WCG Wealth Advisors LLC increased its Verizon stake by 40.7% in the fourth quarter, ending with 78,792 shares valued at about $3.21 million. Several other institutional investors also adjusted their positions, and institutions now own 62.06% of Verizon’s stock.
  • Verizon recently reported better-than-expected quarterly EPS of $1.28, though revenue came in slightly below estimates at $34.44 billion. The company also reaffirmed its income appeal by declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, or $2.83 annualized, for a 6.3% yield.
  • Despite the dividend and earnings beat, Verizon’s stock was trading down 3.8% and has drawn mixed analyst views, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $50.59. Recent headlines also included a Supreme Court ruling that favored the FCC’s fine-collection process, adding a modest regulatory negative for the company.
  • Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications.

WCG Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 40.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 78,792 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 22,793 shares during the quarter. WCG Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $3,209,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during 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. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

Verizon Communications Trading Down 3.8%

VZ stock opened at $44.87 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $47.64 and a 200-day moving average of $45.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a market cap of $187.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.94, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 EPS. The company's 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, equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VZ. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

View Our Latest Report on VZ

About Verizon Communications

(Free Report)

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.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report).

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ)

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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