Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Trading Up 1.4% – Still a Buy?

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) were up 1.4% on Friday . The company traded as high as $50.33 and last traded at $50.11. Approximately 15,691,447 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 44% from the average daily volume of 27,954,828 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.43.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on VZ. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Moffett Nathanson reduced their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.84.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $45.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.42. The stock has a market cap of $208.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 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 earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.22 EPS. The firm’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 forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total value of $55,066.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 108,766 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,444,825.96. This represents a 1.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 6.2% in the second quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 3,568 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $151,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the first quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the period. Manchester Financial Inc. increased its position in Verizon Communications by 0.6% during the second quarter. Manchester Financial Inc. now owns 34,924 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,479,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $113,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 32.7% in the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

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.