IFM Investors Pty Ltd Buys 54,366 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

IFM Investors Pty Ltd raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 914,258 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 54,366 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $37,238,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,367 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares during the last quarter. Coastwise Capital Group LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Coastwise Capital Group LLC now owns 54,054 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $2,202,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607 shares during the last quarter. SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $425,000. Private Management Group Inc. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 1,072,444 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $43,681,000 after purchasing an additional 25,909 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan David Investments LLC IL lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL now owns 1,017,046 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $41,424,000 after purchasing an additional 19,625 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $47.04 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $196.43 billion, a PE ratio of 11.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $47.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $45.45.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The business 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 company’s revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.02%.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several recent commentaries argue Verizon looks undervalued, citing its roughly 6% dividend yield, strong free-cash-flow generation, and defensive appeal in a volatile market. One note also highlights raised 2026 guidance, mid-single-digit EPS growth expectations, and robust postpaid net adds as signs of improving operating momentum. Article: Verizon: A Unique Opportunity In An Expensive Market
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on Verizon’s fiber expansion, including the Frontier acquisition, which should broaden its broadband footprint and improve its competitive position versus satellite-based connectivity rivals and other wireless peers. Article: Verizon: Satellite Pessimism Overly Done – Rich Upside And Income Potential Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: A market note said Verizon rose while the broader market dipped, reinforcing its image as a defensive stock that can hold up when investors rotate toward steadier income names. Article: Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly lowered its FY2027 EPS estimate for Verizon, but the change was minimal and the firm kept a Hold rating, suggesting only a modest impact on the stock. Source: MarketBeat analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Other recent articles compare Verizon with AT&T and AST SpaceMobile, but these pieces are mostly relative-value discussions rather than direct catalysts for VZ. Article: VZ vs. ASTS: Which Connectivity Stock is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns that Verizon still faces limits to future profitability improvement, meaning investors may want to temper expectations even though the stock has defensive qualities. Article: Verizon: A Good Defensive Play In Times Of Market Exuberance

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Company 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.