Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Holdings Boosted by TrueMark Investments LLC

TrueMark Investments LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 6.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 287,287 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 16,992 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications comprises about 2.8% of TrueMark Investments LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest position. TrueMark Investments LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $14,422,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,357,158,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 31.2% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,286,423,000 after purchasing an additional 7,509,055 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 1.5% in 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 period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet will join the Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing Verizon, which may weigh on sentiment as Verizon loses a prestigious index position. Alphabet added to Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing Verizon
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon is leaving the Dow partly because its low share price gave it an “immaterial impact” on the index, highlighting its limited influence in the benchmark. Could Nike Get the Boot from the Dow? Why Berkshire Hathaway Might Take Its Place.
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon launched new wireless plans focused on affordability and simplicity to stem subscriber losses, which could help stabilize the business but also underscores competitive pressure. Verizon (VZ) Launches Simplicity And Verizon One Plans To Win Back Subscribers
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the stock’s weakness, some investors continue to view Verizon as a defensive dividend name with an attractive yield. Why Johnson & Johnson, Altria, Verizon, and Other Safe Dividend Stocks Climbed Today

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 2.2%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $45.70 on Thursday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $190.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.24. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $46.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $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. Analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

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.