Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA Trims Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA cut its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 42.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 116,810 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 85,800 shares during the quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,758,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $15,453,058,000 after buying an additional 5,497,598 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased 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 in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased 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 in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,168,080,000 after buying an additional 867,694 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,357,158,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on VZ shares. Morgan Stanley boosted 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. Wells Fargo & Company upped 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. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of VZ opened at $46.82 on Wednesday. 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 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $47.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The company 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%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be given 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Key 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 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.