Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Bought by EP Wealth Advisors LLC

EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 15.3% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 172,916 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 22,909 shares during the quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $7,321,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VZ. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,759,000 after purchasing an additional 16,704 shares during the period. United Bank grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 11.5% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 806 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 312.0% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 17,901 shares during the period. HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,779,000 after purchasing an additional 6,034 shares during the period. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 443 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s approximately 5.6% dividend yield and reputation for relatively stable cash flow are attracting income investors as markets debate interest rates. The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, or $2.83 annualized. Is Verizon gaining defensive appeal?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets remain modestly supportive, with recent targets ranging from $52 to $56 and nine analysts carrying Buy ratings. Verizon’s strong three-year total return and earnings guidance of approximately $4.99-$5.04 per share also provide a constructive backdrop for shareholders. Verizon stock looks cheap on earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is inconclusive: Verizon trades at roughly 13 times earnings, which appears inexpensive for a large telecom, but its recent 77.2% three-year return means some of that value may already be reflected in the share price. The consensus analyst rating remains Hold, with an average target near $50.84.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares for approximately $55,066. The transaction reduced his holdings by about 1% and was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, making it a limited and less concerning signal, but it nevertheless adds modest selling pressure. Verizon CEO sells shares
• Negative Sentiment: Residents of Spring Lake, New Jersey, are opposing a proposed Verizon 5G installation on boardwalk pavilions. The dispute is local and unlikely to materially affect Verizon’s financial results, but it highlights permitting and community-relations risks associated with network expansion. Jersey Shore residents oppose Verizon 5G towers

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total transaction of $55,066.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 108,766 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,444,825.96. The trade was a 1.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $49.37 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $205.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The business has a 50-day moving average of $45.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.40. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.22 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on VZ shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.84.

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.