Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Down 1.1% – Here’s What Happened

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) shares fell 1.1% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $46.06 and last traded at $46.8540. 22,996,364 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 21% from the average daily volume of 29,153,541 shares. The stock had previously closed at $47.36.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Friday, May 29th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.84.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $45.23 and its 200-day moving average is $46.64. The company has a market capitalization of $194.80 billion, a PE ratio of 12.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.70%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. USS Investment Management Ltd increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 4.6% during the first quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $35,790,000 after acquiring an additional 31,354 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $89,499,000 after purchasing an additional 639,380 shares during the period. Clarity Financial LLC raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 412,018 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 15.3% in the fourth quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 2,382,975 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $97,059,000 after buying an additional 316,854 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keudell Morrison Wealth Management purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $2,171,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.