WealthPLAN Partners LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

WealthPLAN Partners LLC cut its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 31.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 47,580 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 21,978 shares during the period. WealthPLAN Partners LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $2,389,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Dbs Bank cut shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.59.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s recent moves to bolster growth — including broadband expansion, AI initiatives, convergence strategy, and a new BT joint venture tied to international enterprise revenue — are being viewed as supportive of the long-term outlook. Is Verizon Communications (VZ) Below Fair Value As The BT Joint Venture Raises Fresh Questions?
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon also continues to attract dividend-focused investors, with coverage highlighting it as a high-yield stock and an income candidate, while the company recently won nearly $3.2 billion in FCC wireless spectrum licenses that could strengthen its network position. Is Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) The Best Dividend Stock to Buy According to Hedge Funds?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary suggests the broader telecom sector may be relatively insulated from Starlink-related pressure, which could help sentiment toward wireless names like Verizon. SpaceX Risk to Telecom Sector ‘Feels Overdone,’ for Now, Analyst Says

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ opened at $42.58 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The company has a 50 day moving average of $46.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $45.97. The company has a market cap of $177.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.19 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.6%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

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.