Investors Buy High Volume of Verizon Communications Call Options (NYSE:VZ)

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) saw unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock investors acquired 276,566 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 278% compared to the typical daily volume of 73,168 call options.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock traded down $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $40.46. 23,872,520 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 30,101,750. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $40.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.90. Verizon Communications has a one year low of $37.58 and a one year high of $47.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $170.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.34.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.02. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 14.43% and a return on equity of 19.31%. The company had revenue of $33.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, January 12th will be issued a $0.69 dividend. This represents a $2.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 12th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.97%.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks finds VZ has outpaced its wireless peers over the past year thanks to 5G upgrades, network‑slicing and new partnerships that are supporting revenue growth and enterprise opportunities. Verizon Outpaces Its Industry in a Year: How to Play the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Yahoo Finance highlights Verizon’s Event Perks and Industrial IoT push — initiatives that could expand higher‑margin enterprise revenue and support longer‑term growth beyond consumer wireless. Should Verizon’s Event Perks and Industrial IoT Push Require Action From Verizon Communications (VZ) Investors?
• Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwind: commentary calling for large Fed rate cuts this year would be supportive for high‑yield names like Verizon (nearly 7% yield noted elsewhere), which can re-rate higher if rates fall. Fed Governor Wants Huge Rate Cuts This Year: 5 High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional flows and analyst coverage are mixed but noteworthy: large asset managers added sizable VZ positions and median price targets sit above the current share price, indicating analyst upside but no immediate catalyst. Verizon Communications Stock (VZ) Opinions on Job Cuts and Earnings Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor guides (The Motley Fool) flag Verizon as a high‑yield income idea but note slow organic growth — useful for income investors but not an immediate growth re‑rating catalyst. Here’s My Top High-Yield Dividend Stock to Buy in January
• Negative Sentiment: American Banking News flags that VZ hit a new 12‑month low, a technical and sentiment negative that can pressure the stock and trigger selling. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?
• Negative Sentiment: Social‑media and commentary highlighted widespread job‑cut reports and debate over dividend sustainability ahead of earnings — these personnel and payout concerns add downside risk if they dent execution or investor confidence. Verizon Communications Stock (VZ) Opinions on Job Cuts and Earnings Outlook

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VZ. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,504,150,000. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after purchasing an additional 7,276,809 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 51.1% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,512,228 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $637,812,000 after buying an additional 4,905,101 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 1.3% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 372,787,016 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $16,130,494,000 after buying an additional 4,615,075 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 21.5% in the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 21,159,040 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $915,552,000 after buying an additional 3,743,892 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VZ has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.50 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $47.47.

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.