Carret Asset Management LLC Sells 13,821 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Carret Asset Management LLC lessened its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 14.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 81,906 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 13,821 shares during the period. Carret Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $3,336,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 5,497,598 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 3.5% during 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 buying an additional 7,461,335 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in 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 worth $4,747,930,000 after buying an additional 5,851,715 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,168,080,000 after acquiring an additional 867,694 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $2,357,158,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon unveiled simpler wireless plans, a new loyalty program, and the removal of some activation and upgrade fees, which could help reduce customer churn and improve competitiveness against AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon targets wireless customers with new simpler plans, drops some fees
• Positive Sentiment: The company also launched an industry-first loyalty program offering 3% back on bills plus brand perks, signaling a more customer-friendly push under new CEO Dan Schulman. Verizon Breaks Industry Mold to Put Customers First
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon continues to highlight network strength and resilience, including preparations for a potential tropical storm in the Gulf Coast, reinforcing its reputation for reliable service during emergencies. Verizon’s Ready to keep you Connected as a Potential Tropical Storm Forms in the Gulf; Offers Tips to Prepare
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s private 5G and security initiatives, including the Anthropic-linked Project Glasswing and expanded enterprise connectivity partnerships, support longer-term growth opportunities. Ericsson Private 5G now available for Verizon Business private networks internationally
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive but cautious, with Freedom Broker initiating coverage at Hold and a $53 target, suggesting execution will be important for the stock’s next move. Freedom Broker Sees Verizon (VZ) as an Execution-Dependent Telecom Story
• Negative Sentiment: Investors may be wary that the new fee cuts and perks could pressure margins in an already highly competitive wireless market if subscriber gains do not offset the added incentives. Verizon Drops $40 Fees as Wireless Freebies Race Heats Up

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.5%

NYSE:VZ opened at $46.82 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $195.48 billion, a PE ratio of 11.42, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. 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 quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. The business’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, sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.59.

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.