Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Trading Down 1.1% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Verizon shares fell 1.1% to about $46.85 in trading volume below the daily average.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $50.84, though recent targets range from $44 to $56.
• Verizon exceeded quarterly EPS estimates ($1.30 versus $1.27), but revenue declined 0.7% year over year. The company paid a $0.7075 quarterly dividend, representing an annualized yield of approximately 6.0%.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) shares traded down 1.1% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $46.06 and last traded at $46.8540. 22,996,364 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 21% from the average session volume of 29,153,541 shares. The stock had previously closed at $47.36.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VZ has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $50.84.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

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 stock's fifty day moving average is $45.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.25.

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

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. RKL Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $268,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $113,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. grew its position in Verizon Communications by 1.2% in the first quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 18,421 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $925,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,426,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Company 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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