Xcel Wealth Management LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Xcel Wealth Management LLC lowered its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 27.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 63,417 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 23,649 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications comprises about 0.9% of Xcel Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Xcel Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $3,184,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Northeast Investment Management increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.1% during the first quarter. Northeast Investment Management now owns 22,677 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,138,000 after acquiring an additional 2,264 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 7,003 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $352,000 after acquiring an additional 811 shares during the period. Falcon Wealth Planning purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter worth approximately $241,000. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 42,011 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $2,109,000 after purchasing an additional 2,932 shares during the period. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.8% in the 1st quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 163,498 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $8,208,000 after purchasing an additional 17,197 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon remains a popular dividend stock, with investors still attracted to its roughly 6% yield and defensive profile. Why Johnson & Johnson, Altria, Verizon, and Other Safe Dividend Stocks Climbed Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Some market commentary continues to frame Verizon as a potential income play, with its high yield appealing to investors seeking stability rather than growth. Verizon Communications (VZ) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s latest earnings were solid, with the company recently beating EPS estimates, which may help support the stock’s valuation over time.
• Negative Sentiment: S&P Dow Jones Indices said Verizon will be removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average and replaced by Alphabet, reducing its visibility in the blue-chip benchmark. Alphabet Wins a Seat at the Dow
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also reacting to the fact that Verizon’s lower share price gave it only a small weighting in the price-weighted Dow, reinforcing concerns that the company has become less relevant to the index. Could Nike Get the Boot from the Dow? Why Berkshire Hathaway Might Take Its Place.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Verizon Communications stock opened at $46.07 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.83. The stock has a market cap of $192.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. 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 earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VZ. Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.59.

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.