284,227 Shares in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Bought by Graham Capital Management L.P.

Graham Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 284,227 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $11,577,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Nicholas Wealth LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $1,040,000. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA now owns 46,911 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,911,000 after acquiring an additional 2,739 shares in the last quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 34.1% during the fourth quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 20,715 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $844,000 after acquiring an additional 5,272 shares in the last quarter. Opal Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $11,190,000. Finally, Rothschild Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 56.8% during the fourth quarter. Rothschild Wealth LLC now owns 16,446 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $670,000 after acquiring an additional 5,959 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VZ has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Raymond James Financial restated 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 Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.59.

More 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 Price Performance

NYSE VZ opened at $46.82 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $47.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $195.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

About Verizon Communications

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.