Caxton Associates LLP lessened its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 59.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,470 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 39,813 shares during the quarter. Caxton Associates LLP’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $1,379,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Econ Financial Services Corp raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 23.5% during the fourth quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 78,172 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,184,000 after acquiring an additional 14,862 shares during the period. USS Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $35,790,000 after acquiring an additional 31,354 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 41.0% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 2,197,366 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $89,499,000 after purchasing an additional 639,380 shares during the period. Clarity Financial LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 697.0% in the 4th quarter. Clarity Financial LLC now owns 471,127 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $19,189,000 after purchasing an additional 412,018 shares during the period. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 15.3% during the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 2,382,975 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $97,059,000 after purchasing an additional 316,854 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several research firms have issued reports on VZ. Dbs Bank downgraded Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.03.
Verizon Communications Trading Up 5.7%
Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $46.34 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $45.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.20. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $193.47 billion, a PE ratio of 12.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.26.
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Verizon Communications Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.
Verizon Communications News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Verizon beat Q2 adjusted EPS estimates at $1.30 versus $1.27 expected, helped by record EBITDA margins and stronger cash generation. Verizon earnings report
- Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 guidance for adjusted EPS, mobility and broadband service revenue, and free cash flow, signaling management confidence in the outlook. Reuters guidance article
- Positive Sentiment: Verizon posted better-than-expected subscriber momentum, including 184,000 postpaid phone additions and more than 550,000 total mobility and broadband net adds, showing the core business is improving. Verizon press release
- Positive Sentiment: Free cash flow rose 24.4% and Verizon expanded its full-year buyback target to as much as $4.5 billion, both supportive of shareholder returns. Verizon press release
- Positive Sentiment: Verizon also announced a more than $1 billion dark fiber deal with Google for AI data centers, suggesting potential upside from infrastructure demand and additional AI-related contracts. Reuters Google deal article
- Neutral Sentiment: Revenue came in below Wall Street expectations and was slightly lower year over year, so top-line pressure is still a concern. Verizon earnings report
- Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was unusually heavy, with traders buying more call options than normal, which may reflect speculative bullish positioning rather than fundamental news. GuruFocus earnings call highlights
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications
- Telecom Earnings Reveal a Sector That Finally Looks Healthier
- Defense Earnings Show Readiness Now and Modernization Ahead
- Why Palantir Investors Aren’t Panicking While the Rest of AI Sells Off
- MarketBeat Week in Review – 07/20- 07/24
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Verizon Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Verizon Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
