Principal Financial Group Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 0.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,944,459 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 42,946 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.12% of Verizon Communications worth $248,212,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors lifted 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 worth $29,000 after buying an additional 448 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

Several research firms have commented on VZ. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Dbs Bank cut Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.28.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $42.44 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The company’s 50 day moving average is $45.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.05. The company has a market cap of $177.19 billion, a PE ratio of 10.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 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. Shareholders 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 yield of 6.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 69.02%.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Negative Sentiment: Verizon is reportedly planning another round of layoffs this Thursday as management targets $5 billion in operational budget cuts, raising concerns about execution and the need for cost reductions to support earnings. Verizon Plans New Round Of Layoffs
• Negative Sentiment: BNP Paribas Exane cut its price target on Verizon to $44 from $46 and reiterated a neutral stance, suggesting limited near-term re-rating potential for the stock. BNP Paribas Exane lowers Verizon PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon has also been caught up in broader telecom sector worries tied to SpaceX/Starlink competition, which is pressuring sentiment across the group rather than reflecting a company-specific change in fundamentals.
• Positive Sentiment: Offsetting some of the pessimism, Verizon recently expanded into BMW connected cars and launched the Gizmo Watch 4, showing continued product and partnership activity in higher-growth connected services. Verizon Expands Into BMW Connected Cars And Launches Gizmo Watch 4

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.