Verizon Communications Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:VZ)

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) was the target of some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock traders purchased 78,376 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 25% compared to the average volume of 62,572 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on VZ. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Scotiabank dropped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.03.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ stock traded up $2.34 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $46.16. 26,123,893 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 29,091,873. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $45.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.20. The firm has a market cap of $192.73 billion, a PE ratio of 11.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Verizon Communications 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 results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The company’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 69.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the period. Robinswood Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. 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:

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon beat adjusted EPS expectations at $1.30 and reported record adjusted EBITDA, showing stronger profitability than Wall Street expected. Conference Call
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its FY2026 guidance for adjusted EPS, mobility and broadband service revenue, cash flow from operations, and free cash flow, which signals management is more confident about the second half. Reuters guidance update
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon added 184,000 postpaid phone connections and more than 550,000 total mobility and broadband net additions, suggesting healthier subscriber momentum and less reliance on aggressive promotions. Reuters Google deal
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon expanded its full-year buyback target to up to $4.5 billion and said dividend coverage remains strong, which supports the stock’s appeal as an income name. Seeking Alpha analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue came in below estimates and was slightly down year over year, so investors still see some top-line pressure even with better earnings and cash flow. MarketBeat earnings summary
• Negative Sentiment: The company continues to carry a large debt load, which could limit flexibility if growth slows or interest costs remain elevated. Seeking Alpha analysis

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.