California State Teachers Retirement System Has $330.97 Million Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

California State Teachers Retirement System reduced its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,593,058 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 155,106 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.16% of Verizon Communications worth $330,972,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,357,158,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Verizon Communications by 31.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,286,423,000 after purchasing an additional 7,509,055 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after purchasing an additional 5,497,598 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ stock opened at $48.23 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The firm has a market cap of $201.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.56, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.26. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $45.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.35. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.22 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

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 paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.70%.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s second-quarter performance showed improving wireless subscriber growth, lower churn, reduced promotional costs, stronger broadband additions, and robust cash flow. Management raised its 2026 financial and free-cash-flow outlook, strengthening the investment case for earnings growth and dividend coverage. VZ Q2 Earnings Call Signals Faster Growth From Churn Gains
• Positive Sentiment: A more than $1 billion dark-fiber agreement with Alphabet, along with Verizon’s AI Connect initiative, could provide a new source of revenue from AI infrastructure and connectivity. Management expects more meaningful revenue and margin contributions beginning next year. Verizon May Be an AI Infrastructure Stock Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: At least six analysts raised their price targets following the earnings update. TD Cowen increased its target to $56 and kept a Buy rating, while Scotiabank raised its target to $52.50 and maintained Sector Outperform. The improved outlook has also prompted a bullish rating upgrade from Seeking Alpha. VZ Stock Is Up 22% This Year
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expanding 5G, fiber, converged services, and AI connectivity to diversify beyond traditional wireless. These investments could support long-term growth, but their returns depend on successful execution and continued demand. How Verizon is Positioning Itself for the Next Wave of AI Connectivity
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts still see limited upside at the current level. Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Barclays, and RBC retained Equal Weight or Sector Perform ratings, with targets ranging from $46 to $52. Competitive pressure and the need to sustain subscriber momentum remain key risks.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VZ has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Moffett Nathanson dropped their target price on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.84.

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.