Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. Has $891,000 Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lowered its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 40.8% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,750 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 12,246 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $891,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s store divestitures and layoffs could lower operating costs and support margins as the company restructures its retail footprint. VZ Stock Rises — Verizon Moves To Slash Costs With Major Store Shakeup
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised multiple earnings estimates for Verizon, including FY2027 EPS to $5.40, suggesting analysts see improving profitability ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is also benefiting from signs of operational strength, including strong wireless network quality rankings and a new BMW connected-car partnership that could expand 5G and IoT revenue opportunities. Wireless Network Quality Returns to Record High, JD Power Finds
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank lowered its price target to $51.50 from $54.50 but kept a “sector outperform” rating, so the note was cautious but not bearish.
• Negative Sentiment: The restructuring includes significant layoffs and store sales, which can signal pressure on the core business and create near-term disruption for employees and operations. Verizon to shed 274 stores, lay off another 500 corporate employees

Verizon Communications Stock Up 2.4%

NYSE:VZ opened at $43.84 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $45.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.09. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The company has a market cap of $183.08 billion, a PE ratio of 10.69, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on VZ shares. Dbs Bank cut Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.09.

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.