Welch Group LLC Acquires 21,632 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Welch Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 1.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,203,860 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,632 shares during the period. Verizon Communications makes up about 2.3% of Welch Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Welch Group LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $60,434,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $46.43 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.83. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $193.89 billion, a PE ratio of 11.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.24.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS 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. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.59.

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.