Townsquare Capital LLC Sells 23,209 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Townsquare Capital LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 13.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 144,117 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 23,209 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications comprises approximately 1.0% of Townsquare Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Townsquare Capital LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $6,334,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Advantage Trust Co raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 549.5% during the 2nd quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 591 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. TruNorth Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the 3rd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 599 shares during the period. RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on VZ. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane cut Verizon Communications from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $44.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $47.43.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Verizon Communications stock opened at $39.80 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $40.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $47.35. The company has a market capitalization of $167.80 billion, a PE ratio of 8.50, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.34.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.31% and a net margin of 14.43%.The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. Research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.69 per share. This represents a $2.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 12th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 58.97%.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon forecast annual profit and free cash flow above market expectations and reported its highest quarterly wireless subscriber additions in six years, attributing gains to aggressive holiday promotions. This underpins the bullish move in the stock. Verizon forecasts upbeat annual profit as wireless subscriber growth hits six-year high
• Positive Sentiment: Company press release: Verizon delivered on full-year 2025 financial guidance and reported its highest quarterly net adds since 2019, reinforcing management’s narrative of improving top-line momentum and cash generation. Verizon Delivers on 2025 Financial Guidance with Highest Quarterly Net Adds Since 2019
• Positive Sentiment: The Wall Street Journal: Verizon beat revenue expectations and is forecasting aggressive growth under its new CEO — signaling operational improvement that investors reward. Verizon Posts Strong Subscriber Gains in Its First Quarter Under New CEO
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage questioning dividend safety: several outlets highlight Verizon’s ~7% yield and raise questions about whether that payout fully reflects underlying risks — relevant for income investors but not an immediate catalyst. Verizon (VZ) Dividend Safety: 7% Yield From Telecom Giant – Too Good to Be True?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/bull commentary: independent bullish theses and buy-side writeups argue valuation and steady cash flow offer upside, but these are speculative support rather than direct catalysts. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ): A Bull Case Theory
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate-structure / regulatory note: coverage on ESOP share filing and oversight of the Frontier deal raises questions about whether Verizon’s profile will shift toward a more utility-like setup — could affect long-term capital allocation but not an immediate earnings driver. Does Verizon’s ESOP Share Filing and Frontier Deal Oversight Reshape Its Utility-Like Profile (VZ)?
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target on Verizon as part of a wireless-sector reassessment, which could cap upside and weigh on short-term analyst sentiment. Wells Fargo cuts Verizon (VZ) target in wireless sector reassessment
• Negative Sentiment: Minor institutional selling: Alpha Cubed Investments trimmed its VZ stake in the latest 13F filing — a small signal of distribution by some holders. Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Stake Lessened by Alpha Cubed Investments LLC

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.