Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA Sells 10,873 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA decreased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 9.3% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 105,937 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 10,873 shares during the period. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $5,318,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Verizon Communications Stock Up 5.7%

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $46.34 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $45.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.20. The company has a market cap of $193.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 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 Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid 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 of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 69.02%.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon beat Q2 adjusted EPS estimates at $1.30 versus $1.27 expected, helped by record EBITDA margins and stronger cash generation. Verizon earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 guidance for adjusted EPS, mobility and broadband service revenue, and free cash flow, signaling management confidence in the outlook. Reuters guidance article
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon posted better-than-expected subscriber momentum, including 184,000 postpaid phone additions and more than 550,000 total mobility and broadband net adds, showing the core business is improving. Verizon press release
• Positive Sentiment: Free cash flow rose 24.4% and Verizon expanded its full-year buyback target to as much as $4.5 billion, both supportive of shareholder returns. Verizon press release
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon also announced a more than $1 billion dark fiber deal with Google for AI data centers, suggesting potential upside from infrastructure demand and additional AI-related contracts. Reuters Google deal article
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue came in below Wall Street expectations and was slightly lower year over year, so top-line pressure is still a concern. Verizon earnings report
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was unusually heavy, with traders buying more call options than normal, which may reflect speculative bullish positioning rather than fundamental news. GuruFocus earnings call highlights

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VZ. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.03.

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.