Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY Has $55.09 Million Stock Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY grew its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 37.1% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,097,506 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 297,010 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications makes up 1.5% of Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $55,095,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after purchasing an additional 5,497,598 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,168,080,000 after purchasing an additional 867,694 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,357,158,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon launched two new wireless offerings, Simplicity and Verizon One, to win back subscribers with simpler pricing and bundled mobile/home internet plans. That could help stabilize churn and support future revenue growth. Verizon (VZ) Launches Simplicity And Verizon One Plans To Win Back Subscribers
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon has been a trending stock on Zacks, which suggests elevated investor interest, but the item itself does not point to a specific fundamental catalyst. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet will replace Verizon in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on June 29. Being removed from the DJIA can weigh on sentiment because it reduces index visibility and is often interpreted as a relative loss of blue-chip status. Google-Parent Alphabet to Replace Verizon in Dow Jones Industrial Average

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ opened at $46.78 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The stock has a market cap of $195.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.41, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. The business has a 50 day moving average of $46.89 and a 200-day moving average of $45.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business 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 firm’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. On average, equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 69.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on VZ shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.59.

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.