KBC Group NV Sells 793,096 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

KBC Group NV decreased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 34.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,537,555 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 793,096 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $77,186,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in VZ. Lam Group Inc. bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is moving to sell 274 company-owned retail stores to franchisees and cut roughly 3,000 jobs, a restructuring that could lower operating costs and improve margins over time. Reuters: Verizon to shed 274 stores, lay off another 500 corporate employees
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction has been favorable to the cost-reset story, with articles noting VZ rose as investors responded to the store shakeup and expense reduction plans. Yahoo Finance: VZ Stock Rises — Verizon Moves To Slash Costs With Major Store Shakeup
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank slightly raised its FY2026 earnings estimate for Verizon and kept a Hold rating, suggesting only modest near-term earnings improvement. MarketBeat analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expected to report earnings on Friday, which keeps investors focused on whether the restructuring and broadband growth can offset slower revenue trends. American Banking News: Verizon Communications (VZ) to Post Earnings on Friday
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts are cautioning that Verizon already trades at a premium relative to peers, which could limit upside if earnings growth disappoints. Trefis: VZ Earns Its Premium Over Peers. Now What?
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank also lowered its price target to $51.50, reflecting some skepticism about the pace of Verizon’s improvement. American Banking News: Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Lowered to $51.50 at Scotiabank

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on VZ. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.09.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.1%

VZ opened at $43.57 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $45.67 and a 200-day moving average of $46.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $181.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 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 Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its 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%. Verizon Communications’s revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

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.