Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Stock: International Assets Investment Management LLC Cuts Holdings

International Assets Investment Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 87.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,639 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 84,121 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $534,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VZ. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 6.2% during the second quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 3,568 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $151,000 after buying an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Manchester Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.6% in the second quarter. Manchester Financial Inc. now owns 34,924 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,479,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 32.7% in the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.2% in the first quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 18,421 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $925,000 after acquiring an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 37.4% during the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 841 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on VZ. Moffett Nathanson upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Daiwa Securities Group lowered their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $55.00 to $52.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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 report on Monday, July 27th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $51.05.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon added 406,000 postpaid phone subscribers in the third quarter, its strongest third quarter in five years, and raised its outlook for a third consecutive quarter. Those trends support the view that its growth story is gaining traction. Verizon Just Gained 11% in a Month
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon Business completed a large private 5G network deployment at Thames Freeport, serving logistics, port and manufacturing sites. The project could support enterprise growth and demonstrate Verizon’s ability to win complex business contracts. Verizon Business completes Thames Freeport private 5G deployment
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports revived speculation that SpaceX could pursue a large U.S. wireless operator, with Verizon mentioned as a possible target. No offer or deal has been announced, so this remains speculative rather than a confirmed catalyst. Verizon Lands Thames Freeport 5G Role as Takeover Talk Returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon plans to redeem $1.75 billion of 4.125% notes on December 23, 2026. The announcement is a debt-management action; the article provides no indication of a material change to the company’s outlook. Verizon to redeem debt securities
• Negative Sentiment: Despite subscriber momentum and higher guidance, quarterly revenue missed analysts’ expectations, with lower equipment sales cited as a factor. Commentary also flags competition and rising debt as risks to the growth and dividend outlook. VZ Shares Rise 14.7% in a Year: What’s the Next Move for Investors?

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $46.35 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.68 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $192.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.28. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $46.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $46.96.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 26th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.04. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.75% and a net margin of 11.78%. The firm had revenue of $34.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.77 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.21 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 9th were issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 9th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is currently 72.19%.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.00, for a total value of $47,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 98,866 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,251,238. This represents a 1.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 11,000 shares of company stock valued at $516,373. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc. is a telecommunications company that provides wireless and wireline communications services in the United States. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and other connected devices, broadband internet, and related services for consumers, businesses, and government customers. The company operates a nationwide wireless network and provides home internet through fiber-optic service, including Fios, and fixed wireless access. For business and public-sector customers, Verizon offers connectivity, networking, security, and Internet of Things services.