Ridgepath Capital Management LLC Sells 47,650 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Ridgepath Capital Management LLC lowered its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 48.6% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 50,460 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 47,650 shares during the period. Verizon Communications comprises approximately 1.3% of Ridgepath Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Ridgepath Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $2,533,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its position in Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on VZ. Scotiabank reduced their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Dbs Bank cut shares of Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.97.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.2%

VZ stock opened at $43.51 on Tuesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $45.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a market cap of $181.68 billion, a PE ratio of 10.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

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

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several articles continue to frame Verizon as a long-term value name, highlighting its relatively low valuation and income appeal for investors looking for defensive cash flow. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage commentary also points to bullish expectations for Verizon’s FY2026 earnings, reinforcing the idea that the company may be able to maintain stable profitability. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is being mentioned in broader “stocks to watch” coverage ahead of a busy earnings week, but this is more of a market context story than a company-specific catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Verizon preparing its network for record-setting traffic during the first-ever World Cup halftime show underscores operational readiness, but it is unlikely to materially move the stock on its own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada cut its price target on Verizon from $48 to $46 while keeping a “sector perform” rating, a sign that analysts see limited upside near term and that may be weighing on shares. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern also remains centered on whether Verizon can fully protect its dividend, suggesting the market is still sensitive to debt and payout sustainability risks. Article Title

Verizon Communications Company 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.