Mizuho Markets Cayman LP Invests $6.87 Million in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Mizuho Markets Cayman LP acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 136,881 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $6,871,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the fourth 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 during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,080,810,000 after acquiring an additional 7,461,335 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% in 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 acquiring an additional 867,694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,357,158,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.03.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of VZ stock opened at $44.29 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $184.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $45.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $46.18. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. 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 prior year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. The firm’s quarterly 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. Equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.02%.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon launched the Gizmo Watch 4 for families, a child-safety-focused wearable that could help deepen its connected devices ecosystem and add incremental service revenue. Verizon (VZ) Launches Gizmo Watch 4 For Families Focused On Child Safety
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is offering preorders for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 lineup and new Galaxy wearables, which may support device upgrades and customer retention through attractive financing and bundle deals. Samsung’s next-generation Z Fold meets simplicity & value on Verizon
• Positive Sentiment: Some coverage continues to frame Verizon as an income stock worth holding, with investors drawn to its high dividend yield and defensive cash-flow profile. Retire on Dividends Alone: The Super-High-Yield Stocks Boomers Are Buying and Never Selling
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are mixed ahead of Verizon’s Q2 earnings, with bullish comments about valuation and FIFA-related momentum offset by concerns about 5G spending, competition, and discounting. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Verizon Stock Before Q2 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is shrinking its retail footprint by selling 274 stores and cutting 500 office jobs, part of a broader restructuring that may improve efficiency but also signals pressure in the core business. Verizon To Sell 274 Stores, Cut 500 Office Jobs In Restructuring
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly issued a pessimistic forecast for Verizon, reinforcing concerns that earnings and growth expectations may be under pressure heading into results. Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon’s planned cuts of 3,000 jobs and the handoff of 274 stores to franchisees highlight a significant restructuring effort, which can raise investor worries about demand, margins, and business stability. Verizon Is Cutting 3,000 Jobs and Handing 274 Stores to Franchisees Right Before July 24 Earnings. Is the 6.5% Dividend Still Safe?

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.