Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Buys 48,418 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 19.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 302,344 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 48,418 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $14,933,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of VZ. Oder Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.1% in the first quarter. Oder Investment Management LLC now owns 15,346 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $770,000 after purchasing an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. Independent Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter valued at about $6,617,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super bought a new position in Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $635,000. Finally, BCGM Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. BCGM Wealth Management LLC now owns 59,285 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $2,976,000 after buying an additional 2,539 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $43.76 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $182.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.26. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $45.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.15. 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 (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, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The firm’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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

Key Stories 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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on VZ. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.03.

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.