ABN Amro Investment Solutions Cuts Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

ABN Amro Investment Solutions lessened its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 15.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 476,313 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 86,638 shares during the period. ABN Amro Investment Solutions’ holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $23,911,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after purchasing an additional 5,497,598 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,168,080,000 after purchasing an additional 867,694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $2,357,158,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ opened at $43.76 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $45.51 and a 200 day moving average of $46.15. The stock has a market cap of $182.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.67, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 quarter last year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue 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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. 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 on the stock in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price target for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.03.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several recent pieces frame Verizon as a value stock, highlighting its relatively low valuation and dividend appeal for income-focused investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts cited FIFA-related network demand and stronger usage trends as potential near-term catalysts ahead of second-quarter earnings. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is preparing for heavy network traffic around the first-ever World Cup halftime show, which reinforces its network scale but is not clearly a direct earnings driver yet. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC lowered its price target on Verizon to $46 from $48 and kept a “sector perform” rating, signaling cautious sentiment rather than a major change in the thesis.
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon plans to cut about 3,000 jobs and sell 274 stores to franchisees, underscoring ongoing restructuring and raising questions about growth and margins. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Another report said Verizon will sell 274 stores and cut 500 office jobs, adding to concerns that management is leaning on cost reductions rather than clear revenue acceleration. Article Title

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.