Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by GWN Securities Inc.

GWN Securities Inc. reduced its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 49.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,921 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 24,655 shares during the period. GWN Securities Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $1,099,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bulwark Capital Corp acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Advantage Trust Co boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 549.5% during the second quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 591 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the period. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates raised its position in Verizon Communications by 739.5% in the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Verizon Communications from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $44.00 target price for the company. in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $47.47.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $39.01 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.74. The company has a market cap of $164.46 billion, a PE ratio of 8.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.34. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $37.83 and a 52 week high of $47.35. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $41.84.

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

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, January 12th will be given a dividend of $0.69 per share. This represents a $2.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 12th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 58.97%.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: FCC revises phone-unlocking rule, potentially reducing Verizon’s fraud-related losses and recurring costs — a direct operational tailwind that should help margins. FCC revises Verizon phone unlocking rules after significant fraud issues
• Positive Sentiment: Regional press coverage also highlights the FCC change as material relief for Verizon’s handset fraud exposure and cost recovery. Verizon gets relief as FCC revises phone unlocking rule
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment appears to be improving on steadier growth and strong cash flows; consensus price targets imply upside versus current levels, providing support for the stock. Analyst Sentiment on Verizon Communications (VZ) Improves Amid Steadier Growth and Defensible Cash Flows
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend-focused pieces highlight Verizon’s high yield and defensive income profile, which can attract income investors and underpin the share price in uncertain markets. Here’s How Many Shares of Verizon Communications You’d Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is featured in dividend roundups (e.g., Dogs of the Dow lists), reinforcing its appeal to long-term income investors. The Dogs of the Dow: 10 Downtrodden Dividends Paying Out Up to 6.8%
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional investors own roughly 68% of VZ, which can stabilize trading but also concentrate selling/ buying pressure when institutions rebalance. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is largely controlled by institutional shareholders who own 68% of the company
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon underperformed peers in Tuesday trading, which can signal sector rotation or short‑term sentiment weakness relative to competitors. Verizon Communications Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank trimmed its VZ price target (from $51 to $48) and kept a Sector Perform rating, citing intensifying wireless promotions — a sign of competitive pressure that could weigh on near‑term revenue/margins. Scotiabank Trims Verizon (VZ) Price Target as Wireless Promotions Intensify

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.