Metis Global Partners LLC Has $8.98 Million Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Metis Global Partners LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 5.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 204,298 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 10,802 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $8,979,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,759,000 after buying an additional 16,704 shares during the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 144,973 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $6,245,000 after acquiring an additional 7,326 shares in the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 12.1% in the second quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC now owns 236,417 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $10,230,000 after purchasing an additional 25,527 shares during the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 7.4% in the second quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 12,609 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $546,000 after purchasing an additional 866 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Wealth Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 7.4% during the second quarter. Tower Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 10,577 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $458,000 after purchasing an additional 731 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $49.41 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $50.24. The company has a market capitalization of $208.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $41.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 68.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VZ has been the topic of several recent research reports. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Scotiabank upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays began coverage on Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price target for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lowered Verizon Communications from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $44.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.02.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.