Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Acquired by Liberty One Investment Management LLC

Liberty One Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 70.0% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 294,787 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 121,400 shares during the period. Verizon Communications accounts for 0.7% of Liberty One Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest position. Liberty One Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $12,946,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Hudock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 39,842 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,724,000 after buying an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. raised its position in Verizon Communications by 1.2% during the second quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. now owns 21,255 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $920,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp raised its position in Verizon Communications by 2.9% during the third quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 8,571 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $355,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% in the third quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 71,541 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,144,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Camden National Bank grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the second quarter. Camden National Bank now owns 5,666 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $245,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: FCC rule change reduces Verizon’s liability for phone-unlocking fraud — the FCC revised a long-standing rule that required Verizon to unlock phones 60 days after activation; the agency says the old rule was costing Verizon hundreds of millions annually due to fraud, which should meaningfully improve margins and cash flow retention. FCC revises Verizon phone unlocking rules after significant fraud issues
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is improving — coverage notes steadier growth and defensible cash flows, with a consensus price target implying upside from current levels; growing analyst confidence supports the stock’s income/total-return case. Analyst Sentiment on Verizon Communications (VZ) Improves Amid Steadier Growth and Defensible Cash Flows
• Positive Sentiment: High-yield appeal remains — Verizon is being featured in dividend screens (e.g., “Dogs of the Dow”/high-yield lists), reinforcing interest from income-focused investors given its attractive yield relative to peers. That helps provide a demand floor for the shares. The Dogs of the Dow: 10 Downtrodden Dividends Paying Out Up to 6.8%
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank trimmed its price target on Verizon (from $51 to $48) and cited intensifying wireless promotions as a reason — this highlights near-term margin pressure and competitive risks that can weigh on sentiment and cap short-term upside despite the regulatory relief. Scotiabank Trims Verizon (VZ) Price Target as Wireless Promotions Intensify

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

NYSE VZ opened at $39.84 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.69. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $37.74 and a 1-year high of $47.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $167.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 0.34. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $40.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.86.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $33.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.19 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 14.43% and a return on equity of 19.31%. Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be paid a $0.69 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. This represents a $2.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.9%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.97%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VZ. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.50 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, BNP Paribas lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $47.47.

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.