Seelaus Asset Management LLC Buys 17,265 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Seelaus Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 334.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,422 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,265 shares during the period. Verizon Communications comprises approximately 0.8% of Seelaus Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Seelaus Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $1,126,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Lam Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.3%

VZ opened at $42.47 on Thursday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $46.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.98. The company has a market cap of $177.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter 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 analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 69.02%.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo assigned Verizon an equal weight rating with a $43 price target, which is slightly above recent trading levels and suggests limited downside from current prices. Benzinga coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays kept an equal weight view and only modestly cut its target to $45, indicating analysts still see some fair value in the stock despite the pullback. Benzinga coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted Verizon’s high-yield dividend appeal and argued the stock may still look attractive to income investors after its decline. 3 High-Yield Dividends That Pay You Soon (But You Must Act Quickly)
• Neutral Sentiment: BT Group and Verizon’s new 50:50 global enterprise joint venture is being watched as a possible boost to cash flow, but investors are still waiting to see the financial impact. BT–Verizon Joint Venture article
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon continues to be viewed as a value stock after its pullback, with commentary noting broadband gains, AI initiatives, and convergence strategy could support longer-term growth. Verizon Stock Underperforms Industry in a Year: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo and other analysts flagged Starlink as a new competitive threat, raising concerns about pressure on Verizon’s fixed wireless and postpaid growth. SpaceX’s Starlink Puts Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile Under the Microscope
• Negative Sentiment: Several articles noted Verizon has underperformed peers and the broader industry over the past year, reinforcing the market’s cautious view. Zacks coverage

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.28.

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.