Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC Lowers Stake in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC reduced its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 14.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 76,353 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 13,215 shares during the quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $3,233,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Robinswood Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on VZ shares. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.84.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising their Verizon earnings forecasts slightly. Erste Group lifted its FY2026 estimate to $5.01 per share from $4.99 and its FY2027 estimate to $5.26 from $5.23. The revisions reinforce the current-year consensus forecast of approximately $5.03 per share, although the bank maintained a “Hold” rating. Verizon earnings estimate article
• Positive Sentiment: Stronger wireless performance and potential AI infrastructure deals are improving Verizon’s growth narrative. Rising estimates could support valuation and investor confidence, particularly given the company’s relatively defensive telecommunications business. Verizon earnings revisions article
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon began preorders for Google’s Pixel 11 lineup, including installment and annual-upgrade plans through its Simplicity offering. The launch may help Verizon attract and retain higher-value wireless customers, though the immediate financial impact is likely limited. Verizon Pixel 11 preorder article
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to arrests and convictions related to fiber vandalism in Southern California. The program may deter future outages and protect network reliability, but recent disruptions highlight ongoing infrastructure-security costs and operational risks. Verizon network vandalism reward article
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon still faces significant debt and competition from AT&T, T-Mobile and lower-priced wireless providers. These pressures could limit margin expansion and make the company’s growth investments—including AI infrastructure and network upgrades—more difficult to finance. Verizon competitive and debt risks article

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $46.92 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $45.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.92. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The company has a market capitalization of $194.94 billion, a PE ratio of 12.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.25.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business’s revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.70%.

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.