XML Financial LLC Sells 36,974 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

XML Financial LLC cut its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 22.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 125,675 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 36,974 shares during the period. XML Financial LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $5,119,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nemes Rush Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 17.7% in the 4th quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 7,681 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $313,000 after acquiring an additional 1,154 shares during the last quarter. Vestcor Inc lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 692,851 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $28,220,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100 shares during the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 114.4% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 18,400 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $749,000 after acquiring an additional 9,818 shares during the last quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 14.5% in the 4th quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 14,515 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $591,000 after acquiring an additional 1,833 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Patron Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Patron Partners LLC now owns 18,815 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $766,000 after acquiring an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Verizon Communications News

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 Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $45.39 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $189.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $47.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.27.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VZ. Barclays increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Dbs Bank cut Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.59.

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.