Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Acquires 168,597 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 4.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 4,309,428 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 168,597 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications makes up about 1.2% of Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $175,523,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. CenterBook Partners LP increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 250.8% in the 4th quarter. CenterBook Partners LP now owns 57,360 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $2,336,000 after buying an additional 41,008 shares during the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth about $975,000. Bcwm LLC grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Bcwm LLC now owns 115,240 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,694,000 after acquiring an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. ING Groep NV increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 9,331.7% in the fourth quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 701,152 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $28,558,000 after acquiring an additional 693,718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $47,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, reinforcing its reputation as a high-yield income stock and signaling stable cash returns to shareholders. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on June 4, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary noted Verizon has outperformed over the past several months on the back of subscriber gains, broadband growth, and AI-related initiatives, which may support the stock’s longer-term narrative. VZ Shares Rise 8.6% in Six Months: What’s the Next Move for Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market pieces focused on Verizon’s valuation and dividend appeal, with some arguing the stock is still compelling for income investors while others question whether the upside is limited. Forget Wall Street’s Ultimate Telecom Value Trap and Buy the Real Free Cash Flow King
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s debt tender and exchange offers, along with broader capital-priority discussion, suggest management is actively managing leverage and liquidity, but the move is not an immediate fundamental catalyst. Do Verizon (VZ) Debt Tenders and Dividend Steadiness Hint at a Shifting Capital Priorities Playbook?
• Negative Sentiment: The Supreme Court’s decision in the FCC dispute increases Verizon’s regulatory risk and could lead to continued fines or enforcement actions, weighing on investor sentiment. US Supreme Court backs FCC in clash with wireless carriers over fines
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from Starlink and concerns about Verizon’s store/customer backlash have widened skepticism about the company’s growth outlook and valuation. Verizon Confronts Store Backlash And Starlink Threat As Valuation Gap Widens

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.0%

VZ stock opened at $45.39 on Monday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The stock has a market cap of $189.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $47.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The company 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 was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

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 issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the subject of several recent research reports. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.59.

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.