Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Bought by Meyer Handelman Co.

Meyer Handelman Co. lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 2.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,245,243 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 35,395 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications comprises about 1.9% of Meyer Handelman Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Meyer Handelman Co.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $62,511,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.6% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $113,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the period. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,426,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the period. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon remains a popular dividend stock, with investors still attracted to its roughly 6% yield and defensive profile. Why Johnson & Johnson, Altria, Verizon, and Other Safe Dividend Stocks Climbed Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Some market commentary continues to frame Verizon as a potential income play, with its high yield appealing to investors seeking stability rather than growth. Verizon Communications (VZ) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s latest earnings were solid, with the company recently beating EPS estimates, which may help support the stock’s valuation over time.
• Negative Sentiment: S&P Dow Jones Indices said Verizon will be removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average and replaced by Alphabet, reducing its visibility in the blue-chip benchmark. Alphabet Wins a Seat at the Dow
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also reacting to the fact that Verizon’s lower share price gave it only a small weighting in the price-weighted Dow, reinforcing concerns that the company has become less relevant to the index. Could Nike Get the Boot from the Dow? Why Berkshire Hathaway Might Take Its Place.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.9%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $46.07 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $192.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $46.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.83. 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 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 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%.The company’s revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VZ has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a 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. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.59.

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.