Contravisory Investment Management Inc. Purchases 11,068 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Contravisory Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 111.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 20,980 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,068 shares during the period. Contravisory Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $1,053,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VZ. 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 valued at $113,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,426,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the period. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $399,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

NYSE:VZ opened at $46.07 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $192.38 billion, a PE ratio of 11.24, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $46.91 and its 200 day moving average is $45.83. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications’s quarterly 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is currently 69.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Dbs Bank cut shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.59.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon remains a popular dividend stock, with investors still attracted to its roughly 6% yield and defensive profile. Why Johnson & Johnson, Altria, Verizon, and Other Safe Dividend Stocks Climbed Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Some market commentary continues to frame Verizon as a potential income play, with its high yield appealing to investors seeking stability rather than growth. Verizon Communications (VZ) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s latest earnings were solid, with the company recently beating EPS estimates, which may help support the stock’s valuation over time.
• Negative Sentiment: S&P Dow Jones Indices said Verizon will be removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average and replaced by Alphabet, reducing its visibility in the blue-chip benchmark. Alphabet Wins a Seat at the Dow
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also reacting to the fact that Verizon’s lower share price gave it only a small weighting in the price-weighted Dow, reinforcing concerns that the company has become less relevant to the index. Could Nike Get the Boot from the Dow? Why Berkshire Hathaway Might Take Its Place.

Verizon Communications 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.