American Investment Services Inc. Decreases Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

American Investment Services Inc. lowered its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 6.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 189,997 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 13,994 shares during the period. Verizon Communications makes up about 2.1% of American Investment Services Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position. American Investment Services Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $9,538,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of VZ. RKL Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $113,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its position in Verizon Communications by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,426,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during 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 launched the Gizmo Watch 4 for families, a child-safety-focused wearable that could help deepen its connected devices ecosystem and add incremental service revenue. Verizon (VZ) Launches Gizmo Watch 4 For Families Focused On Child Safety
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is offering preorders for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 lineup and new Galaxy wearables, which may support device upgrades and customer retention through attractive financing and bundle deals. Samsung’s next-generation Z Fold meets simplicity & value on Verizon
• Positive Sentiment: Some coverage continues to frame Verizon as an income stock worth holding, with investors drawn to its high dividend yield and defensive cash-flow profile. Retire on Dividends Alone: The Super-High-Yield Stocks Boomers Are Buying and Never Selling
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are mixed ahead of Verizon’s Q2 earnings, with bullish comments about valuation and FIFA-related momentum offset by concerns about 5G spending, competition, and discounting. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Verizon Stock Before Q2 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is shrinking its retail footprint by selling 274 stores and cutting 500 office jobs, part of a broader restructuring that may improve efficiency but also signals pressure in the core business. Verizon To Sell 274 Stores, Cut 500 Office Jobs In Restructuring
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly issued a pessimistic forecast for Verizon, reinforcing concerns that earnings and growth expectations may be under pressure heading into results. Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon’s planned cuts of 3,000 jobs and the handoff of 274 stores to franchisees highlight a significant restructuring effort, which can raise investor worries about demand, margins, and business stability. Verizon Is Cutting 3,000 Jobs and Handing 274 Stores to Franchisees Right Before July 24 Earnings. Is the 6.5% Dividend Still Safe?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on VZ. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price 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. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.03.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $44.29 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The firm has a market cap of $184.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.80, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $45.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.18. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current 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 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 yield of 6.4%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

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.