Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Decreases Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio decreased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 3.3% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,772,229 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 60,731 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $88,966,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VZ. Econ Financial Services Corp boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 23.5% during the fourth quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 78,172 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,184,000 after buying an additional 14,862 shares during the last quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd raised its position in Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $35,790,000 after buying an additional 31,354 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its position in Verizon Communications by 41.0% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 2,197,366 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $89,499,000 after buying an additional 639,380 shares during the last quarter. Clarity Financial LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 697.0% during the 4th quarter. Clarity Financial LLC now owns 471,127 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $19,189,000 after acquiring an additional 412,018 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 15.3% during the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 2,382,975 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $97,059,000 after acquiring an additional 316,854 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is highlighting new consumer products, including the Gizmo Watch 4 for families focused on child safety, which could support device sales and customer engagement. Verizon (VZ) Launches Gizmo Watch 4 For Families Focused On Child Safety
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is also promoting major Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and wearable preorder deals, signaling continued carrier partnerships and potential upgrade-driven demand. Samsung’s next-generation Z Fold meets simplicity & value on Verizon
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple previews note that Verizon will report Q2 results before the bell on Friday, keeping the stock in focus as investors look for updates on wireless growth, margins, and guidance. Verizon (VZ) To Report Earnings Tomorrow: Here Is What To Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage ahead of earnings says Verizon is in a broad reset, selling 274 company-owned stores, cutting jobs, and leaning more on franchises to improve efficiency. Verizon Communications (VZ) Sells Stores And Cuts Jobs, Is The Stock Still A Bargain?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are watching whether Verizon’s restructuring and cost cuts are enough to offset growth concerns, including competitive pressure from rivals and fears around new Starlink-related offerings in the market. Verizon Earnings Will Put Cost Cuts and SpaceX Fears Under the Microscope
• Negative Sentiment: Peer news from T-Mobile and AT&T underscores a tougher wireless backdrop, with intensified competition and execution risks across the sector that could weigh on Verizon’s outlook. T-Mobile Falls Despite Earnings Beat. CEO Shoots Down Expanded Starlink Deal.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley upped their target price 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. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.03.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of VZ stock opened at $43.91 on Friday. 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 firm has a market cap of $183.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.71, a PEG ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a 50 day moving average of $45.39 and a 200-day moving average of $46.20. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

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.