Macquarie Group Ltd. Sells 143,528 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Macquarie Group Ltd. lessened its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 6.2% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,170,000 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 143,528 shares during the period. Macquarie Group Ltd.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $88,262,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management now owns 9,567 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $390,000 after acquiring an additional 528 shares during the last quarter. Summit Financial LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 124,558 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $5,073,000 after acquiring an additional 14,764 shares during the last quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 59.9% in the 4th quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 13,336 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $543,000 after acquiring an additional 4,998 shares during the last quarter. Keynote Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Keynote Financial Services LLC now owns 48,022 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,956,000 after acquiring an additional 3,486 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Livet Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth $372,000. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Scotiabank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary remain constructive on Verizon’s valuation, with several notes calling it inexpensive relative to its cash flow, earnings power, and dividend profile. Verizon: Steady, Cheap, And Still Standing
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon highlighted new AI-powered disaster-response tools, including “Digital Twin” network modeling, satellite connectivity, and mobile 5G assets, which could support network resilience and reinforce its infrastructure advantage. Verizon’s AI Disaster Tools Highlight Network Resilience And Valuation Gap
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment has also been helped by upbeat pieces describing Verizon as a defensive stock with income potential, including mentions of its raised guidance, postpaid subscriber momentum, and fiber expansion after the Frontier deal. Verizon: A Unique Opportunity In An Expensive Market
• Neutral Sentiment: An insider sold about 80% of her shares in a roughly $3 million transaction, which can draw attention but does not necessarily signal a change in Verizon’s business outlook. 1 Verizon Insider Sells 80% of Her Stock in $3 Million Deal. For Everyone Else, VZ Is a Good Buy Now.
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly trimmed its FY2027 earnings estimate for Verizon, but the change was minimal and the firm kept a Hold rating. Verizon Communications Inc. research note
• Neutral Sentiment: Some recent market updates noted Verizon outperforming a weaker broader market session, reinforcing the stock’s defensive character rather than pointing to a major company-specific catalyst. Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts

Verizon Communications Trading Up 2.5%

Shares of VZ opened at $48.10 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $47.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $200.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.73, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 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 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 dividend yield of 5.9%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

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.