Ranch Capital Advisors Inc. Increases Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Ranch Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 18.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 90,225 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,799 shares during the period. Verizon Communications accounts for about 1.6% of Ranch Capital Advisors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Ranch Capital Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,529,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Lam Group Inc. bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter worth $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.7%

NYSE:VZ opened at $43.57 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $45.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.07. The company has a market capitalization of $181.91 billion, a PE ratio of 10.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.82 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications’s 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, equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on VZ. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.09.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is moving to sell 274 company-owned retail stores to franchisees and cut roughly 3,000 jobs, a restructuring that could lower operating costs and improve margins over time. Reuters: Verizon to shed 274 stores, lay off another 500 corporate employees
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction has been favorable to the cost-reset story, with articles noting VZ rose as investors responded to the store shakeup and expense reduction plans. Yahoo Finance: VZ Stock Rises — Verizon Moves To Slash Costs With Major Store Shakeup
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank slightly raised its FY2026 earnings estimate for Verizon and kept a Hold rating, suggesting only modest near-term earnings improvement. MarketBeat analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expected to report earnings on Friday, which keeps investors focused on whether the restructuring and broadband growth can offset slower revenue trends. American Banking News: Verizon Communications (VZ) to Post Earnings on Friday
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts are cautioning that Verizon already trades at a premium relative to peers, which could limit upside if earnings growth disappoints. Trefis: VZ Earns Its Premium Over Peers. Now What?
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank also lowered its price target to $51.50, reflecting some skepticism about the pace of Verizon’s improvement. American Banking News: Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Lowered to $51.50 at Scotiabank

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.