Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Bought by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 36.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 541,325 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 145,347 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $23,791,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bulwark Capital Corp bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Advantage Trust Co raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 549.5% during the second quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 591 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. TruNorth Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% in the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the period. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 222.2% in the 2nd quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 725 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE VZ opened at $40.56 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.60 and a 1-year high of $47.35. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $40.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.90. The company has a market capitalization of $171.00 billion, a PE ratio of 8.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.34.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.02. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.31% and a net margin of 14.43%.The firm had revenue of $33.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, January 12th will be paid a $0.69 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 12th. This represents a $2.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.8%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 58.97%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. BNP Paribas lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.50 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $47.47.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Institutional and analyst support — Large fund buying and recent buy ratings/prices targets from major firms signal conviction from professional investors, which can underpin the stock. QuiverQuant notes big Q3-position increases from UBS, BlackRock and others and several recent buy ratings and $44–$51 analyst targets. Verizon Communications Stock (VZ) Opinions on Job Cuts and Earnings Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: High dividend yield and cash-flow profile — Coverage highlights Verizon’s ~7% yield and strong cash flow forecasts, making the stock attractive to income-focused investors, especially if interest rates ease. Here’s My Top High-Yield Dividend Stock to Buy in January
• Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwind possibility — A Fed governor publicly pushing for sizable rate cuts this year raises the prospect of lower rates, which tends to benefit high-dividend, low-volatility stocks like Verizon. Fed Governor Wants Huge Rate Cuts This Year: 5 High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Growth initiatives under watch — Coverage on Verizon’s Event Perks loyalty efforts and industrial IoT push flags potential incremental revenue/enterprise opportunities; impact depends on execution and scale. Should Verizon’s Event Perks and Industrial IoT Push Require Action From Verizon Communications (VZ) Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed value proposition — Analysts and commentators note mixed recent returns but argue the stock may offer value given steady cash flow; view depends on whether investors prioritize yield vs. growth. Is Verizon (VZ) Offering Value After Mixed Returns And Strong Cash Flow Forecasts?
• Negative Sentiment: Job cuts and social-media criticism — Reports of large-scale layoffs (thousands) and online concern about service quality and dividend sustainability create short-term investor uncertainty and reputational risk; restructuring can also trigger near-term charges even if it improves margins later. Verizon Communications Stock (VZ) Opinions on Job Cuts and Earnings Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Upcoming earnings/Risk of guidance disappointments — Market attention ahead of the Jan 30 report raises the chance of volatility if Verizon’s revenue or guidance misses expectations. Zacks notes the stock recently outpaced the market intraday, but earnings execution remains the primary near-term catalyst. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) Outpaced the Stock Market Today

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.