WealthShield Partners LLC Reduces Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• WealthShield Partners LLC cut its Verizon stake by 57% in the first quarter, selling 28,237 shares and ending with 21,267 shares worth about $1.07 million.
• Verizon reported better-than-expected earnings for the quarter, posting $1.28 EPS versus the $1.21 estimate, though revenue came in slightly below forecasts at $34.44 billion.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 6.7%, while analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with an average price target of $50.28.

WealthShield Partners LLC reduced its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 57.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 21,267 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 28,237 shares during the quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $1,068,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Verizon Communications by 61.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,759,000 after buying an additional 16,704 shares during the period. United Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $339,000 after acquiring an additional 806 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 312.0% during the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 17,901 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC grew its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 6,034 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.2% in the 2nd quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $389,000 after acquiring an additional 443 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

NYSE:VZ traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $42.14. The company's stock had a trading volume of 27,697,528 shares, compared to its average volume of 33,171,120. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The business's 50-day moving average is $46.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.97. The company has a market capitalization of $175.95 billion, a PE ratio of 10.28, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS 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 company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. The business'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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.7%. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is currently 69.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 price target for the company. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, 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. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $50.28.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is being highlighted as a potentially attractive dividend stock, with Barron’s saying now may be a good time to buy income-oriented names like VZ as yields look more compelling. Why Verizon, Clorox and More Dividend Stocks Are Flashing a Buy Signal
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon won a new automotive connectivity contract through its KDDI partnership, becoming the U.S. connectivity provider for newly manufactured BMW Group vehicles, which could support growth in its enterprise and IoT business. Verizon named U.S. connectivity provider for newly manufactured BMW Group vehicles through KDDI partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts also flagged Verizon as a telecom name worth owning, noting its fiber and wireless expansion strategy and suggesting it may have a good setup for its next earnings report. T or VZ: Which Telecom Stock Deserves a Place in Your Portfolio?
• Positive Sentiment: Another recent report said Verizon has a strong earnings surprise history and could beat estimates again, which tends to support investor confidence ahead of results. Will Verizon (VZ) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs won asset-management mandates tied to Verizon’s retirement assets, but this is mainly a financial-services arrangement rather than an operational development for Verizon. Goldman Sachs wins $70 billion in asset management deals with Verizon, Lockheed Martin
• Neutral Sentiment: Some broader commentary on enterprise internet reliability and telecom competition, including Starlink-related pressure, may add noise to the sector outlook, but it is not a direct negative catalyst for Verizon itself. Verizon NYSE: VZ Dow Exit Deepens Starlink Market Pressure

Verizon Communications Profile

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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