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 | Source: Verizon Communications, Inc.

NEW YORK, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors at Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today declared a quarterly dividend of 70.75 cents per outstanding share, consistent with the prior quarter's dividend rate. The quarterly dividend is payable on November 2, 2026 to Verizon shareholders of record at the close of business on October 9, 2026.

“Verizon's reliability and consistency in returning capital to shareholders is a result of our focused operational execution and our ability to drive sustainable cash flow," said Dan Schulman, CEO of Verizon. "The strength of our business allows us to maintain our unwavering commitment to the dividend and deliver for our shareholders, while continuing to invest for long-term growth." 

Verizon has approximately 4.2 billion shares of common stock outstanding. The company made approximately $11.5 billion in cash dividend payments in 2025.

This announcement was originally published by Verizon. Read the original press release.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $138.2 billion in 2025. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.

VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at verizon.com/about/news. For images and logos, visit verizon.com/about/news/media-resources. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.

Media contact:
Jamie Serino
[email protected]
(201) 401-5460

Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,631,065 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 149,754 shares during the quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned 0.06% of Verizon Communications worth $111,399,000 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. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 13.7% in the 2nd quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 16,306 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $690,000 after purchasing an additional 1,963 shares in the last quarter. Stableford Capital II LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 491.8% during the 2nd quarter. Stableford Capital II LLC now owns 25,686 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,088,000 after purchasing an additional 21,346 shares during the last quarter. XY Planning Network Inc. lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 13.1% during the 2nd quarter. XY Planning Network Inc. now owns 5,394 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. BayBridge Capital Group LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 2.0% in the second quarter. BayBridge Capital Group LLC now owns 34,771 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,472,000 after buying an additional 696 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 0.4% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 1,159,870 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $49,109,000 after buying an additional 4,644 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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

Positive Sentiment: Verizon signed a multibillion-dollar supply agreement with Corning for high-density optical fiber running through 2032. The commitment is intended to expand broadband access and strengthen infrastructure for rising AI-related data traffic, providing greater long-term visibility for Verizon’s network buildout. Verizon signs optical fiber deal with Corning to expand broadband, support AI growth Positive Sentiment: The agreement reportedly covers approximately 80 million miles of fiber and could help Verizon meet growing demand for consumer broadband, business connectivity and converged services. Investors may view the deal as supporting customer growth and reinforcing Verizon’s competitive position in infrastructure tied to AI demand. Verizon Just Locked In 80 Million Miles of Fiber Through 2032 Neutral Sentiment: The deal’s strategic benefits are clear, but the articles do not disclose its precise financial terms. Verizon will likely need to commit substantial capital and operating resources, so the effect on margins, free cash flow and returns will depend on execution and broadband subscriber growth. Verizon, Corning Reach Multi-Billion Dollar Agreement for Broadband Expansion Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary points to investors rotating away from defensive, high-yield telecommunications stocks after Verizon’s strong run. Brokerages maintain a consensus “Hold” recommendation, suggesting much of the recent recovery may already be reflected in the share price. Shift Away from Defensive Plays Hits Verizon Communications Verizon Communications Price Performance VZ opened at $50.40 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $209.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.26. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $46.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $47.50. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications’s revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades VZ has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Scotiabank raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.97.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on VZ

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.50, for a total value of $55,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 107,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,437,133. This trade represents a 1.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,300 shares of company stock valued at $164,164. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

(Free Report)

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related technology services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, 5G connectivity, fixed wireless access, fiber-optic internet through Verizon Fios, home services, and connected-device solutions.

Through Verizon Business, the company serves enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations with communications networks, managed connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud and edge-computing services, unified communications, and Internet of Things solutions.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch Wasn’t the Moment Investors Expected Despite Post-Earnings Drop, Wall Street Analysts Eye New Highs for Broadcom Stock Morgan Stanley Eyes Good Things Ahead for Meta After $18 Billion Legal Settlement Q3 Earnings Could Be the Catalyst the Market Has Been Waiting For Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report).

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Verizon just signed a supply agreement with Corning that runs through 2032, and the scale of the commitment reveals exactly how aggressively the carrier plans to rewire its growth around fiber and AI infrastructure.

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80 Million Miles of Glass 80 million miles. That is the volume of high-density optical fiber and connectivity solutions Verizon (NYSE:VZ | VZ Price Prediction) has committed to buy from Corning (NYSE:GLW) under a multi-billion dollar agreement running 2027 to 2032, according to terms revealed alongside a Tuesday announcement covered by Barron’s. The deal names Corning Contour Flow Cable as a supplied product and deepens an existing 30-year Verizon-Corning relationship. The agreement spans both use cases: Verizon has locked in supply for consumer broadband and fiber-to-the-home buildout as well as the long-haul backbone for AI data centers.

What It Means Operationally Verizon is buying certainty. On its most recent call, CEO Hans Vestberg said the carrier is “solidly on track to have more than 32 million fiber passings by the end of this year” and is still “very focused on driving our fiber footprint 40 to 50 million over the medium term.” Reaching that medium-term footprint requires glass, and lots of it. An 80 million mile commitment covers both the fiber-to-the-home push and the dark and lit fiber Verizon plans to sell into AI infrastructure, where management has flagged “potentially multi billions in revenues” from hyperscalers and enterprises.

Verizon closed Q2 FY2026 with 10.9 million fiber broadband connections, up 43.3% year over year, and 348,000 broadband net adds, up 12.3% year over year. The Frontier Communications acquisition closed Jan 20, 2026, pushing the fiber footprint to 30 million-plus homes and businesses. Locking in supply through 2032 removes a bottleneck at exactly the moment Corning is telling investors “if we could make more, we could sell more.” Corning is one of the quieter names powering the AI data-center buildout, and we profiled seven suppliers like it, from power to cooling to fiber, in a free report you can grab here.

Market Reaction Verizon shares traded at $50.37 on Tuesday morning, up 0.46% on the session. The stock is up 8.39% over the past month and 29.89% year to date. Corning, the supplier side of the trade, traded at $161.46, up 8.58% over the past week and 85.38% year to date.

Bull Case For long-term Verizon holders, this contract does three things at once. It underwrites the network Verizon needs to hit its 40 to 50 million fiber-passings goal, it hard-wires the physical layer for the AI infrastructure revenue Dan Schulman flagged when he said “with the emergence of AI infrastructure revenue, we are fundamentally reshaping Verizon’s growth trajectory”, and it does so alongside a balance sheet already funding the raised FY2026 buyback target of up to $4.5B and a $0.7075 quarterly dividend.

The operating results back the strategy. Q2 FY2026 delivered adjusted EPS of $1.30 versus a $1.27 consensus, the sixth straight EPS beat. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 40.1% from 37.1%. Free cash flow reached $6.426 billion, up 27.12% year over year. Postpaid phone churn improved to 0.92% from 0.97%, and postpaid phone net adds swung to 184,000 from a loss of 9,000 a year earlier. Management has told investors converged customers show “almost 30% less” churn. More fiber, sold into more homes, alongside wireless, is the bull thesis, and Verizon just secured six years of the raw material to execute it.

Bottom Line An 80 million mile supply commitment through 2032 is the kind of number long-term holders should weigh heavier than any single quarter. It aligns Verizon’s capex plan, its $16.0 to $16.5 billion FY2026 capex range, its Frontier integration, and its AI infrastructure ambitions behind one physical asset base. Management has told investors more specifics on AI infrastructure revenue are due “in the next three to six months.” That is the next catalyst. The glass is already ordered.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

With interest rates on U.S. Treasuries now firmly in multiyear-high territory, income investors have much to think about. The sort of yields that only dividend stocks were able to offer just a short while ago can now be matched -- if not topped -- by longer-term bonds. For perspective, 30-year Treasuries are now yielding 5.25%. An income-generating stock is going to need to bring something special to the table, so to speak, to justify its risk when safer and similarly yielding bonds are available.

There are some names out there that are up to the task, however, even if you're limiting your options to S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.38%) constituents. My pick of the litter this month is Verizon Communications (VZ -0.89%), which at the current share price boasts a forward yield of 5.7%.

Verizon and its dividend are built to last Verizon, of course, doesn't need much in the way of introduction. As of the middle of this year, nearly 147 million different mobile devices were connected to its wireless network, making it the United States' top cellphone service provider. It's serving nearly 350,000 broadband internet customers as well.

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Its sheer size isn't the big selling point, though, and for that matter, neither is its sizable dividend yield (although it certainly doesn't hurt). Rather, the more nuanced reason Verizon is my top S&P 500 dividend stock pick is that the company's got 19 consecutive years of dividend hikes under its belt, and there's no sign that streak is going to come to an end.

Think about it. For better or worse, consumers are practically glued to their mobile phones, and their smartphones in particular. Pew Research reports that 98% of adults in the United States own a mobile phone, with over 90% of those being smartphones. And among those smartphone owners, 45% made an attempt within the past 12 months to use them less often -- cutting back on the 5-plus hours that Harmony Healthcare IT says they're staring at their device's screens -- but only one-fourth of that 45% say they were very successful in their efforts.

Image source: Getty Images.

Connect the dots. Americans are effectively addicted to their mobile phones. Mentally healthy or not, they're not likely to disconnect their pocket-sized connections to the rest of the world now or anytime soon. This means plenty of reliable cash flow ahead for the nation's top name in the business.

Just understand what it is, and isn't There's a trade-off to owning a stake in Verizon, to be clear. That's a lack of capital gains. While the telecom giant is entrenched, the wireless market is saturated. The bulk of its growth potential comes from population growth and price increases, neither of which is a huge growth engine. There are more effective and productive ways of driving capital gains (and still collect decent dividends along the way). This stock should be viewed strictly as an income and dividend growth holding.

For that particular purpose, though, you'll find few -- if any -- better options than this one.

So, don't overthink it. The yield is solid, and with the stock priced at only about 10 times this year's expected earnings, it's not likely to run into a valuation headwind anytime soon, either.

Beacon Financial Advisory LLC trimmed its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) by 75.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,104 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 19,080 shares

Verizon has raised its dividend for 20 straight years and yields nearly twice the S&P 500 average, yet $172 billion in debt and a fresh acquisition are now testing that streak in ways that adjusted earnings alone cannot explain.

Verizon (NYSE:VZ | VZ Price Prediction) just cut another check to shareholders. The telecom giant paid its $0.7075 quarterly dividend on August 3, 2026, extending one of the longest income streaks in large-cap America. At the current share price of $50.53, the $2.83 annualized payout translates to a yield of roughly 5.6%, still one of the fattest in the S&P 500. The question income investors keep asking: how safe is it?

Payment Details and a 20-Year Streak The August payment matched the prior quarter’s $0.7075, up from $0.69 in the first two quarters of the prior cycle. CFO Tony Skiadas told analysts the January raise of $0.07 per share, up 2.5% from our prior annual dividend rate marked “the 20th consecutive year of dividend increases.” Skiadas also reiterated the commitment in plain language: “The dividend is still ironclad for us, and we raised the dividend.”

Earnings Coverage: Comfortable on Adjusted, Thinner on GAAP Verizon guided full-year 2026 adjusted EPS to $4.99 to $5.04, which comfortably covers the $2.83 annualized dividend with a payout ratio near 56%. Q2 2026 adjusted EPS came in at $1.30, beating the $1.27 consensus. GAAP tells a bumpier story: Q2 net income of $3.835 billion was pressured by roughly $1.8 billion in pre-tax special items tied to restructuring and Frontier integration.

Cash Flow Is the Real Backstop The cash story seems to be stronger than the accounting story. Q2 2026 operating cash flow hit $10.435 billion, and management raised full-year free cash flow guidance to $21.94 billion to $22.14 billion. Against $11.481 billion in common dividends paid in fiscal 2025, projected FCF covers the payout by roughly 1.9x. Skiadas framed it this way: “Our cash flow generation remains a cornerstone of our financial strength and a testament to our high-quality earnings.”

Leverage Is the Yellow Flag Here is where Verizon’s scorecard loses some points. Net unsecured debt to adjusted EBITDA rose to 2.5x, up from 2.2x at year-end 2025, after the Frontier acquisition closed January 20, 2026 and pushed total debt to $172.5 billion. Management is still targeting a 2.0 to 2.25 times leverage range in the 2027 timeframe, and has already paid down about half of the Frontier debt. Buybacks are also competing for cash: the 2026 repurchase target was lifted to $4.5 billion. A 5.6% yield always invites the question of whether the market is pricing in a cut, and we cataloged the seven warning signs that usually show up first in a free dividend trap guide.

Scorecard Verdict: Solid B Grade: solid B. The 5.6% yield is rare, the 20-year growth streak is real, and both adjusted EPS and free cash flow cover the payout with room to spare. Deleveraging progress into 2027 is the swing factor. With shares up 29.71% year to date, the market appears to be pricing in the turnaround, not fearing a cut.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Chris Lange

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics. Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications. A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

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Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

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Stock to Watch: Verizon Communications (VZ - Free Report) Based in New York, Verizon Communications Inc. offers communication services in the form of local phone service, long-distance calls, wireless and data services. In January 2006, Verizon completed its merger with MCI Corporation, a leader in long-distance and data networking services. With the acquisition of Alltel Wireless Corp. in early 2009, Verizon has surpassed AT&T Inc. as the largest wireless carrier in North America, serving millions of customers nationwide.

VZ is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 10; value investors should take notice.

11 analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.06 to $5.03 per share. VZ boasts an average earnings surprise of +3%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, VZ should be on investors' short list.

XLC carries the word "communication" in its name, but the fund's actual portfolio has almost nothing to do with phone bills, fiber lines, or fat dividend checks. Before you assume you own telecom income, check what you actually hold.

Investors reaching for telecom-style income through the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLC) often discover a mismatch between the name and the portfolio. XLC sits inside the S&P 500’s communication services sector, and the label suggests dividend-paying phone companies. The portfolio tells a different story. XLC is dominated by mega-cap tech and media, with Meta at 19.9% and two Alphabet share classes together accounting for another roughly 23% of net assets. If you bought XLC for reliable telecom yield, you own something closer to a growth-and-advertising fund. There is a cleaner way to get the exposure you actually wanted.

Why XLC Disappoints Income Seekers XLC holds legacy telecom names in modest sleeves: AT&T at 4.09%, Verizon at 4.14%, Comcast at 4.70%, and T-Mobile at 4.15%. The rest is Meta, Alphabet, Netflix, Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and media names. Those companies pay little or no dividend, which is why the fund’s distributable income is thin. It also explains XLC’s price action: shares are down 3.46% year to date as the ad-driven mega-caps have wobbled, while the telecom sleeve inside the fund has quietly done the heavy lifting.

For an investor who wants current yield, direct exposure to fiber and wireless convergence, and specific capital returns, the swap is straightforward: holding the three telecom-adjacent components directly isolates the yield without the tech ballast.

AT&T: Cash Flow Now Funding a Buyback Surge AT&T (NYSE:T | T Price Prediction) trades at $26.01 with a 4.36% dividend yield, roughly five times what XLC’s underlying portfolio kicks off. The payout looks well covered. Q2 2026 free cash flow reached $4.7 billion, and management reiterated $18 billion-plus in full-year free cash flow.

The capital return pace stands out. CFO Pascal Desroches said “Together, our planned share repurchases and expected dividend payments will total approximately $18 billion this year, which is essentially 100% of our outlook for free cash flow.” The buyback was pulled forward to approximately $10 billion in 2026, up from a prior $8 billion target. At a trailing P/E of 8, every dollar of repurchase removes shares cheaply. That is the mechanism XLC cannot deliver: AT&T shareholders capture 100% of the buyback impact, while XLC holders see it diluted by a 4% weight.

Verizon: The Yield Anchor With Fiber Growth Attached Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) offers the highest headline yield of the three at 5.65%, backed by 20 consecutive years of dividend increases. Shares are up 29.19% year to date, and the story behind that move matters. The Frontier deal closed January 20, 2026, and Verizon expects more than 32 million fiber passings by year-end. Management raised full-year adjusted EPS growth guidance to 5% to 6% and lifted the buyback authorization.

CFO Tony Skiadas said plainly, “The dividend is still ironclad for us, and we raised the dividend.” With $21.5 billion or more in full-year free cash flow guidance and a forward P/E of 10, Verizon skews toward yield first and modest growth second.

Comcast: A Cheaper Setup With an Optionality Kicker Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) trades at $26.67 and a forward P/E of 8, with a 5% dividend yield. Wireless net additions of 448,000 were the best quarter on record, and Peacock reached profitability with $189 million of EBITDA. Q2 free cash flow was $4.6 billion.

Comcast paused its buyback as of July 1 pending the NBCUniversal and Sky spin-off, and adjusted EBITDA fell 13.4% year over year. The dividend continues, and holders receive shares of the standalone media company when the separation closes in roughly a year. That is optionality XLC cannot replicate.

How to Think About the Swap The three stocks together deliver a blended yield in the mid-5% range, versus the sub-1% distribution profile of XLC’s underlying holdings. You give up direct exposure to Meta, Alphabet, and Netflix, and you accept single-name risk on three balance sheets carrying meaningful debt: AT&T’s net leverage of 2.68 times is above its 2.5 times target, and Verizon sits at roughly 2.6 times. That blended yield is also close to what a mid six-figure balance needs to throw off a real monthly check (we sketched the full math for turning $250K into $1,500 a month in a free report: here). If you hold XLC in a taxable account, selling triggers capital gains. Redirecting new contributions into the three telecom names, rather than selling existing XLC shares, avoids triggering those gains.

Reading the Fit Before You Act Investors who own XLC for mega-cap tech and media exposure with a modest income tilt are getting what the fund is built to deliver. If you bought it thinking it was a telecom income vehicle, this direct trio delivers materially more yield, cleaner exposure to fiber and wireless convergence, and specific capital-return programs you can track quarter by quarter. That is a different job, and it deserves a different tool.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Bank of Nova Scotia cut its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 14.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,229,826 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 391,941 shares during the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia owned approximately 0.05% of Verizon Communications worth $94,410,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Robinswood Financial LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the fourth 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 last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance NYSE VZ opened at $50.11 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $208.20 billion, a PE ratio of 13.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.25.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.22 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year. Verizon Communications Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 73.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VZ. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.84.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Verizon Communications

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total transaction of $55,066.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 108,766 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,444,825.96. This trade represents a 1.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Company Profile (Free Report)

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.

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Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lowered its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 0.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,023,546 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 10,275 shares during the quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board owned 0.17% of Verizon Communications worth $297,377,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. White Knight Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 14.8% during the 2nd quarter. White Knight Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 36,865 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,561,000 after purchasing an additional 4,743 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.9% during the 2nd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,758,725 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $128,316,000 after purchasing an additional 226,439 shares during the last quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 17.8% in the 2nd quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 688,280 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $29,142,000 after buying an additional 104,047 shares during the period. Verity Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 8.1% in the second quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 22,714 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 1,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fiduciary Financial Advisors acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the second quarter valued at about $381,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.84.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Verizon Communications Verizon Communications Stock Performance Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $50.11 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $45.91 and a 200 day moving average of $47.42. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $208.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.Verizon Communications’s revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.6%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 73.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total transaction of $55,066.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 108,766 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,444,825.96. This represents a 1.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

(Free Report)

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.

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EFG International AG decreased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 10.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 100,005 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 11,747 shares during the quarter. EFG International AG’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,234,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. RKL Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $113,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.2% in the first quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 18,421 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $925,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,426,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 1.4% Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $50.11 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $45.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The company has a market capitalization of $208.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.05, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.25. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications’s revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year. Verizon Communications Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 73.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Moffett Nathanson decreased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 20th. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.84.

Read Our Latest Research Report on VZ

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total value of $55,066.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 108,766 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,444,825.96. This represents a 1.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

(Free Report)

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.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications From SaaS-pocalypse to Perfect Storm: Workday’s AI Growth Story Strengthens These 3 GARP Stocks Show Why Growth and Value Do Not Have to Clash Venture Into High-Volatility Corners of the Market With These 3 ETFs 3 Retail Stocks to Watch After a Big Consumer Earnings Week Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report).

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Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 12.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 213,520 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 23,214 shares during the period. Verizon Communications makes up about 1.7% of Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $9,040,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,759,000 after purchasing an additional 16,704 shares during the period. United Bank raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $339,000 after buying an additional 806 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 312.0% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,023,000 after buying an additional 17,901 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 17.2% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,779,000 after buying an additional 6,034 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.2% during the second quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $389,000 after buying an additional 443 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling In other Verizon Communications news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 109,866 shares in the company, valued at $5,348,276.88. This represents a 0.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have weighed in on VZ. Moffett Nathanson dropped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Barclays boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.84. View Our Latest Analysis on Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Price Performance Shares of VZ opened at $50.12 on Tuesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $45.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.33. The company has a market cap of $208.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.05, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 73.70%.

Verizon Communications Company Profile (Free Report)

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.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications Visa Just Put Hims & Hers in the Penalty Box—Here’s Why It Matters Treasury Yields Are Surging Again: 3 Stocks That Could Feel the Pain Snowflake Could Be Headed for New Highs Despite Insider Selling MongoDB Is Surging—And the Next Catalyst Is Almost Here Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report).

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The yield you chase to replace a six-figure income determines not just how much capital you need, but whether that income holds up a decade from now or quietly erodes beneath you.

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Replacing $16,500 a month, which works out to $198,000 a year, is the income question that tends to come up for two-earner professional households, partner-track attorneys, or retirees sitting on seven figures. The math here is unforgiving, simply because the target is so large. The yield you settle on ends up determining not just how much capital you need to pull together, but also how durable that income stream will actually be over the long haul.

With the 10-year Treasury yield near 4.7% and the national average 12-month CD paying just 1.7%, dividend equities remain the practical route to six-figure passive income (we laid out the full mix, payout calendar, and withdrawal order in a free guide to building a paycheck from a portfolio). Here is what $198,000 a year looks like across three yield tiers, using representative names from each.

Conservative Tier: 3% to 4% Yield This is the dividend growth zone: aristocrats, wide-moat consumer defensives, and healthcare compounders. Yields are modest, but the income stream tends to rise annually, and the underlying equity typically appreciates.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ | JNJ Price Prediction) yields roughly 2.0% after raising its quarterly payout to $1.34, extending a 64-year streak. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) yields about 3.0% at a $1.0885 quarterly rate, its 70th consecutive annual increase.

Assume a blended 3.5% yield across a diversified basket of aristocrats and broad dividend funds. The capital math: $198,000 divided by 0.035 equals roughly $5,657,000. At a 4% blended yield, the requirement falls to $4,950,000. That is the price of sleeping well and letting the payout grow.

Moderate Tier: 5% to 7% Yield Net lease REITs, telecoms, preferred shares, and covered call ETFs live here. Yields step up, growth slows, and inflation protection weakens. Realty Income (NYSE:O), the monthly payer, currently yields about 5.1% on an annualized $3.252 distribution, backed by 115 consecutive quarterly increases. Verizon (NYSE:VZ) yields about 5.7% at its $0.7075 quarterly rate.

At a 6% blended yield, $198,000 divided by 0.06 equals $3,300,000. Stretching to 7% with heavier REIT and covered call exposure drops the capital requirement to roughly $2,829,000. You save nearly $3 million in required capital versus the conservative tier, at the cost of slower payout growth and more rate sensitivity.

Aggressive Tier: 8% to 14% Yield Business development companies, mortgage REITs, leveraged covered call funds, and high-yield credit dominate here. Distributions are large; the principal is fragile.

Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC), the largest BDC, yields about 9.7% at a flat $0.48 quarterly distribution, unchanged since 2023. Its portfolio spans 619 companies with a weighted average yield on debt investments of 10.3%.

At a 12% blended yield across BDCs, mortgage REITs, and leveraged option-income funds, $198,000 divided by 0.12 equals just $1,650,000. The catch shows up in the fine print. ARCC’s book value sits at roughly $19, and quarterly earnings growth was negative 54% year over year. High current yield, no dividend growth, and NAV that can drift lower.

Compounding Trap Most Investors Miss Here is where the growth-versus-flat-income tradeoff really shows itself. A 3.5% yield that grows at 8% annually doubles your income stream in roughly nine years. To put that in perspective, Johnson & Johnson’s quarterly dividend climbed from $0.95 in 2019 to $1.34 in 2026, while Ares Capital has been stuck at $0.48 since March 2023. So if you start with $198,000 from that 3.5% grower, you could be pulling $400,000 a decade later without adding a dime of new capital. But if you start with $198,000 from a flat 12% payer, you will probably still be pulling $198,000, and you will be doing it from a smaller asset base.

Three Actions Before You Commit Capital Recalculate the target against actual spending. If your real after-tax burn is closer to $12,000 a month, the required capital falls dramatically at every tier. Replacing gross salary is a common and expensive mistake. Model tax location before yield. BDC and REIT distributions are taxed as ordinary income; qualified dividends from JNJ or PG are not. In a high bracket, moving the aggressive tier into an IRA and the conservative tier into a taxable account can meaningfully change net income at the same gross yield. Stress test with a 10-year total return comparison. Pull the total return of a 3.5% dividend-growth basket against a 10%-plus BDC or covered call fund over the past decade. The gap between yield and total return is where the real story lives. Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

One of the upsides of being in the market-commentary business is that you come across a bunch of fantastic stocks. I can't necessarily buy them all, largely due to practicality -- I don't always have room for yet another holding in my portfolio.

Regardless, if and when I find room and reason to add a new dividend payer to my portfolio in the foreseeable future, I can honestly say these three dividend stocks will be at the top of my watch list. I'd suggest putting them at the top of your watch list as well, if not going ahead and buying them now.

Enbridge Enbridge (ENB +0.52%) isn't a particularly well-known dividend-paying stock. After 31 consecutive years of dividend growth and a forward yield of 5.6% at the current share price, however, it's definitely one that should be on your radar. But not just because of its solid yield and persistent payment increases. The crux of the bullish argument here is the company's underlying business model.

See, Enbridge is a pipeline company. Its 19,373 miles of natural gas pipelines transport about one-fifth of the natural gas consumed within the United States, while its 18,085-mile crude oil pipeline network handles nearly one-third of North America's total production. It's also developing other profit centers like a solar power farm in Texas and an offshore wind power project off the coast of Bessin, France.

All of these businesses have one thing in common (other than being energy related). That is, they all generate recurring revenue that supports those persistent dividend payments and dividend growth. That's even true of its pipelines. Although the prices of the oil and natural gas being pushed through these pipes are constantly fluctuating, the prices that Enbridge charges for the use of its pipeline network are consistent and volume based. As long as the U.S. continues to consume natural gas and crude oil like it has in the past -- which it is -- Enbridge will enjoy reliable revenue that's readily converted into profits, which in turn can keep funding the dividend.

Verizon Communications For better or worse, Americans are essentially addicted to their smartphones. A recent study done by Harmony Healthcare IT indicates that U.S. mobile phone owners look at their screens for an average of over five hours every day. In a separate indication of the same addiction, recent reporting from Reviews.org says the typical American checked their phone 186 times every day in 2025, whether or not there was a specific reason to do so (like a notification chime), with most of the survey's respondents reporting they feel uneasy whenever they leave home without their mobile device.

Mental health matters notwithstanding, this dynamic is a fantastic one for wireless telecom service provider Verizon Communications (VZ +1.35%), which as of the end of June boasted nearly 147 million paying customer accounts.

Image source: Getty Images.

It's not a growth stock by any stretch of the imagination. Like every other name in the nation's well-saturated mobile telecom business, most of Verizon's growth from here will depend on population growth and price increases, neither of which is apt to soar at any point in the foreseeable future. It's purely a value stock, and an income stock in particular.

But what an income stock it is! With nearly every adult living in the U.S. committed to keeping their mobile phones turned on and connected, Verizon's now been able to raise its dividend for 19 consecutive years, with a 20th boost almost certainly around the corner.

And that's based on a dividend payment, by the way, with a solid forward yield of 5.7% at the current share price. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better yield from a company with a comparable risk and dividend growth profile.

Brookfield Renewable Last but not least, I'm adding Brookfield Renewable (BEPC -2.15%) to my list of dividend stocks I'd personally be willing to buy. Its forward yield of 4.8% paired with the sheer pace of its payout growth should make it too compelling for most income-minded investors to pass up.

If the name rings a bell, it may be because you're familiar with one of the asset manager's related offerings like Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, Brookfield Business Partners (the version of Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP -2.34%) that's organized for tax purposes as a limited partnership), or perhaps the parent company and overarching investment manager, Brookfield Asset Management. All of them are attractive income investments in their own ways.

If I could only own one of these options, though, I would pick Brookfield Renewable ("BEPC").

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As the name suggests, this slice of Brookfield's family largely focuses on renewable energy businesses. Brookfield Renewable holds stakes in several privately owned ventures like hydropower stations, wind farms, and solar power facilities that aren't otherwise ownable by ordinary investors. These assets are often better performing in the long run simply because these companies need not attempt to keep shareholders happy via short-term moves, freeing management to favor smart, long-term-focused decisions.

Perhaps more important to income-minded investors, Brookfield has publicly committed BEPC to a pace of dividend growth that beats most other dividend stocks. Specifically, Brookfield Renewable is targeting long-term annual distribution (payout) growth of between 5% and 9%, contributing to net annual returns of between 12% and 15%.

The thing is, given the business's history and its plausible future, Brookfield can certainly deliver such results.

Ordinary dividends from BDCs and REITs hand a cut of every distribution to the IRS before it reaches your account, and the bracket you sit in determines exactly how steep that cost gets. Five high-yield names on this list expose…

At the 24% federal bracket, every $10,000 of ordinary dividend income in a taxable brokerage account costs $2,400 in federal tax before it reaches your account. Scale that up: a $50,000 dividend stream costs $12,000 annually. A Roth IRA seals this leak, and it hits hardest on the highest-yielding, ordinary-income payers most retirees rely on.

The five names below pay distributions taxed at your marginal rate in a taxable account. Business development companies (BDCs), REITs, and midstream partnerships flow non-qualified income to shareholders. Inside a Roth that meets qualified-distribution rules (account open five years, holder over 59½), those payments come out federally tax-free. This is context, not tax advice. Confirm your situation with a professional before repositioning.

Running the Numbers on a $500,000 High-Yield Position Take a $500,000 position generating an 8% blended yield across ordinary-income dividend payers. Gross annual income: $40,000. In a taxable brokerage account at the 24% bracket, the after-tax take drops to $30,400. Inside a Roth, the full $40,000 stays. The annual Roth advantage is $9,600, recurring every year those yields hold.

Five Names Doing the Heavy Lifting Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN | MAIN Price Prediction) is a BDC yielding 5.24% on a $0.265 monthly regular dividend plus a $0.30 supplemental payment declared for September 2026. BDC income is ordinary at the federal level, taxed at your marginal rate outside a Roth.

Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC) is the largest publicly traded BDC and yields 9.64% on a $0.48 quarterly dividend held steady since 2023. A 24% haircut on a 9.64% payout is real money leaving the compounding pool every quarter.

Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD) is a midstream MLP yielding 5.8% after raising its quarterly distribution to $0.56. MLPs carry a wrinkle inside IRAs: unrelated business taxable income above $1,000 can trigger tax at the account level. Size the position accordingly, or hold the MLP taxable and prioritize BDCs and REITs for Roth space.

Realty Income (NYSE:O), the monthly-paying net-lease REIT, yields 5.17% on an annualized $3.252 distribution paid at $0.271 monthly. REIT dividends are non-qualified ordinary income by rule, making O one of the cleanest Roth candidates available (we rounded up seven monthly payers, O included, in a free report on stocks that pay every 30 days).

Verizon (NYSE:VZ) yields 5.65% after raising the quarterly payout to $0.7075. Verizon dividends generally receive qualified treatment in a taxable account, so the incremental Roth benefit is smaller than on the BDCs or REIT. At a mid-5% yield across a six-figure position, the sheltered income still compounds meaningfully.

How the Delta Widens by Bracket Federal ordinary-income brackets sit at 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. Same $40,000 gross dividend stream yields five different taxable-account outcomes and one Roth outcome: the full $40,000.

22% bracket: smallest annual leak, but compounding differential is real over decades. 24% bracket: $9,600 annual advantage on the $500,000 / 8% example. 32% bracket: nearly a third of every distribution redirected to the IRS in a taxable account. 37% bracket: top earners forfeit more than a third of gross ordinary dividends yearly, making Roth placement of BDCs and REITs one of the highest-value account decisions available. Compounding Cost of Skipping the Roth The $9,600 annual advantage recurs annually, available to reinvest at prevailing yields inside a shielded account every year. Compounded across 20 years at a conservative reinvestment assumption, that recurring delta becomes a permanent gap in ending portfolio value.

[compound-interest principal=”0″ rate=”8″ time=”20″ compound_frequency=”annually” contribution=”9600″ contribution_frequency=”annually”]

Leaving the same portfolio in a taxable account is a decision to pay that number to the IRS over the holding period. It is the permanent cost of the placement decision.

What to Do Before Year-End Pull a statement on any BDC or mortgage REIT held in a taxable account and total this year’s ordinary-dividend distributions at your marginal bracket. That number is your annual tax leak. Run the Roth conversion math on the ordinary-income names on this list before assuming the conversion tax outweighs decades of tax-free distributions. When Roth space is limited, prioritize BDCs (MAIN, ARCC) and Realty Income first, size EPD carefully to manage UBTI risk, and shelter Verizon after the ordinary-income names are already inside. Tax-free Roth treatment depends on meeting qualified-distribution rules. Confirm the mechanics with a tax professional before executing a conversion or repositioning trade.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

The $2 million retirement target assumes something most financial advice never questions, and the gap between that assumption and reality is where serious dividend income actually gets built.

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The $2 million retirement number gets treated as gospel, but the capital you actually need to produce $5,900 a month in dividends depends entirely on portfolio yield. That works out to $70,800 a year, and depending on where you set the yield dial, the required nest egg swings from roughly $2 million down to under $600,000. This article walks through the math at three yield tiers, shows the specific holdings that make the smaller number possible, and lays out the risks a higher-yield portfolio carries that a bigger balance would absorb.

Conservative Tier: 3% to 4% Yield Broad-market dividend growth funds and blue-chip aristocrats typically yield 3% to 4%. At a 3.5% yield, generating $70,800 requires roughly $2,022,857 in capital. That is where the $2 million number comes from.

The trade-off is favorable: the underlying holdings are diversified, dividend growth compounds, and the principal is most likely to appreciate. This is the sleep-at-night tier. You need the most capital upfront and accept the least risk of an income disruption. Dividend growth ETFs, low-yield aristocrats, and broad equity funds populate this bucket.

Moderate Tier: 5% to 7% Yield Once you push the blended yield to 6%, the $70,800 target requires roughly $1,180,000, and three specific names anchor that tier.

Realty Income (NYSE:O | O Price Prediction) pays a monthly dividend, currently $0.271 per share, with an annualized forward payout of $3.252. At a recent price of about $62, the yield sits near 5.1%. Realty Income just posted its 115th consecutive quarterly dividend increase, with Q2 2026 AFFO per share of $1.09 and portfolio occupancy at 99%.

Verizon (NYSE:VZ) yields 5.6% on a quarterly payout of $0.7075. Management raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $4.99 to $5.04 and expanded buybacks to $4.5 billion.

Altria (NYSE:MO) yields 6.2% on a quarterly dividend of $1.06, with a 60th increase in the past 56 years on the books.

Ultra-High-Yield Tier: 8% and Above This range is filled with business development companies, mortgage REITs, and covered-call funds, and the math here gets aggressive fast. At a 9% yield, the $70,800 target requires roughly $786,667, and at 10%, that number drops to about $708,000.

Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC) yields 9.6% on a $0.48 quarterly dividend and a weighted average portfolio yield of 10.3%. Management cites 68 consecutive quarters of stable or increasing regular dividends and a spillover cushion of roughly $1.38 per share. Non-accruals ticked up to 2% at cost, and NAV per share slipped to $19.35.

Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN) pays a monthly $0.265 dividend plus a $0.30 supplemental, its twentieth consecutive quarterly supplemental. Q2 2026 distributable NII was $1.04 per share against a 19% annualized return on equity.

Why the Smaller Portfolio Carries Bigger Risks A blended portfolio of Realty Income, Verizon, Altria, Ares Capital, and Main Street Capital can produce a weighted yield in the 7% to 8% range, which pulls the capital requirement below $1 million. That is the appealing headline. The counterweight matters more, though.

Higher yield is compensation for risk. BDC distributions can be cut when non-accruals rise, as ARCC’s GAAP EPS of $0.24 against a $0.48 dividend illustrates. Concentration in five names strips out the diversification a broad fund provides. A $900,000 portfolio has a much thinner cushion than a $2 million one when a single holding cuts. And a yield-focused portfolio does not solve for long-term care costs, home repairs, or a market-timing shock in early retirement.

The counterintuitive insight: a 3.5% yield that grows 8% annually can double its income in about nine years, while a 10% yield with no growth stays flat or declines as principal erodes. The bigger portfolio often produces more lifetime income, which is the whole case for building a dividend ladder that pays you without ever forcing a share sale (we laid out how to construct one in a free guide here: Never Touch the Principal).

What to Do With This Calculate your actual annual spending, not your salary. If your true need is $55,000, the moderate tier gets you there for well under $1 million. Model a blended target closer to 6%. That lets you hold O and VZ alongside a dividend growth core, keeping principal appreciation in the mix. Stress-test the aggressive tier. Assume a 20% distribution cut on the BDC portion and see whether your budget still works. If it does not, size that sleeve smaller. Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

A seven-figure portfolio looks like security until federal taxes, Medicare surcharges, Social Security phase-ins, and inflation each take their share. What actually clears into your checking account from $1.55 million depends on decisions most retirees never see coming.

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A $1.55 million portfolio may look like a finish line, but the gross income you see on a spreadsheet rarely matches what actually lands in your checking account. Federal tax takes a cut, Social Security taxability rules kick in, Medicare Part B and potential IRMAA surcharges add to the tab, state income tax chips away, and inflation silently erodes the rest. This piece runs through each of those subtractions in order using current 2026 figures, so you end up with a net budgeting anchor rather than a misleading gross number.

Start With Gross Yield Before Subtractions At a conservative 3.5% blended yield, $1.55 million generates roughly $54,250 a year. At 4%, about $62,000. At 6%, about $93,000. At 8%, about $124,000. The risk-free anchor for comparison is the 10-year Treasury near 5%, while the FDIC national average 12-month CD sits near 2%. Any yield materially above the Treasury is compensating for equity, credit, or dividend-cut risk.

Three tiers illustrate the trade-off. Conservative dividend growth names like Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ | JNJ Price Prediction) at a 1.9% yield, Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) at 2.3%, and Procter & Gamble at 2.9% deliver less current income but grow the payment. JNJ just posted its $1.34 quarterly dividend, and P&G its $1.0885 quarterly dividend. Moderate names like Realty Income (NYSE:O) at a 5.2% yield and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) at 5.6% pay more today. Aggressive high-yield sleeves, exemplified by Altria at 6.1%, covered-call ETFs, BDCs, and mortgage REITs, maximize current cash but carry principal erosion and cut risk.

Federal Tax: Qualified Dividends Versus Ordinary Income A qualified dividend, paid by most US common stocks held long enough, is taxed at long-term capital gains rates. Ordinary income covers bond interest, most REIT distributions (Realty Income included), and every dollar pulled from a traditional IRA. That distinction changes the net dramatically. Ordinary income is stacked into the 2026 federal brackets: 10% up to $24,800 for joint filers, 12% up to $100,800, 22% up to $211,400, 24% up to $403,550, using the 2026 standard deduction of $32,200 for married filing jointly and $16,100 for single filers.

Where you hold these assets changes everything. In a Roth account, that portfolio delivers the full gross amount with no taxes taken out. In a taxable brokerage, qualified dividends for most joint filers pulling $93,000 will stay within the 15% long-term capital gains bracket. But in a traditional IRA, every dollar you take out is ordinary income, which pushes your marginal rate higher with each withdrawal.

Social Security, Medicare, And The IRMAA Cliff Provisional income, the IRS formula that determines how much Social Security is taxable, includes adjusted gross income, tax-exempt interest, and half of Social Security. Portfolio distributions increase provisional income, which can push up to 85% of the benefit into the taxable column. Medicare then compounds it. The standard 2026 Part B premium is $202.90 per month, and IRMAA (the income-related monthly adjustment amount) kicks in above thresholds. A joint filer with MAGI above $218,000 pays an $81.20 Part B surcharge, rising to $202.90 above $274,000, plus a Part D surcharge starting at $14.50. Cross a threshold by one dollar, and the surcharge applies to the whole year (we mapped the IRMAA brackets and the other premium traps retirees keep tripping in a free guide, here).

State Tax And The Inflation Tail State income tax takes the next bite. A retiree in Florida, Tennessee, or South Dakota gets to keep every dollar, while someone in New York or California faces the highest combined state and local tax burden in the country. Then there is inflation. Core PCE, which is the Fed’s preferred gauge, is still climbing month over month, and the 2027 Social Security COLA is tracking near 3.1%. A flat 8% yield with no dividend growth loses ground every single year. But a 3% yield growing at 7% annually catches up and surpasses it within a decade.

Three actions worth taking:

Rebuild the budget from a net number. Take the gross yield, subtract expected federal tax by income type, IRMAA at your projected MAGI, state tax, and a 3% inflation drag. Budget from that figure. Sort holdings by account location. Put REITs and taxable bonds inside the IRA, keep qualified-dividend equities in taxable, and reserve Roth space for the highest-growth assets. Model the IRMAA cliff before December. A Roth conversion or capital-gain harvest sized without checking the $218,000 and $274,000 joint thresholds can cost more in Part B and Part D surcharges than the tax saved. Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 31,541 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,335,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of VZ. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,357,158,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 15.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,117,471,000 after buying an additional 8,289,877 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 31.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,286,423,000 after acquiring an additional 7,509,055 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after acquiring an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 109,866 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,348,276.88. The trade was a 0.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In VZ has been the topic of several research reports. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.84. View Our Latest Stock Report on Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Stock Performance VZ stock opened at $49.34 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $45.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $47.30. The company has a market capitalization of $205.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.85, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.70%.

(Free Report)

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.

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Affinity Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 24.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 69,115 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 13,749 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications makes up about 1.5% of Affinity Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $2,926,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. KBC Group NV increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,657,363 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $70,173,000 after buying an additional 119,808 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the second quarter valued at about $149,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,036,896 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $86,242,000 after purchasing an additional 103,199 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 1.6% in the second quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board now owns 125,587 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $5,317,000 after purchasing an additional 1,988 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aviso Wealth Management raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2.6% in the second quarter. Aviso Wealth Management now owns 17,209 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $729,000 after purchasing an additional 441 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.3% Verizon Communications stock opened at $49.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $205.00 billion, a PE ratio of 12.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.25. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The business’s quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year. Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 73.70%.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total value of $53,548.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 109,866 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,348,276.88. The trade was a 0.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have recently commented on VZ. Barclays increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Scotiabank upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.84.

Read Our Latest Report on VZ

Verizon Communications Company Profile (Free Report)

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.

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Cornerstone Capital Inc. raised its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 8.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 317,284 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 25,156 shares during the quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $13,434,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 13.9% in the second quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 631,758 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,749,000 after acquiring an additional 77,303 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 64.1% in the second quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 1,644,554 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $69,630,000 after acquiring an additional 642,350 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC increased its position in Verizon Communications by 7.6% during the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,243,533 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $52,651,000 after acquiring an additional 88,073 shares during the period. Ranch Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ranch Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 96,936 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,104,000 after purchasing an additional 6,711 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hohimer Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 88,706 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,756,000 after purchasing an additional 3,462 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s fiber strategy is receiving attention following its Frontier acquisition. Greater fiber scale could support broadband growth, improve network economics and strengthen the company’s competitive position. Verizon Communications Leans Into Fiber After the Frontier Close Positive Sentiment: Income-focused coverage continues to highlight Verizon’s roughly 6% dividend yield and 20 consecutive years of dividend increases. Analysts note that the payout appears secure, although limited growth remains a consideration for investors. Verizon’s Dividend Looks Secure But Investors Should Keep an Eye on Growth Positive Sentiment: A post-earnings review presents Verizon as a potential buy-or-hold candidate for income investors. The company recently exceeded quarterly EPS expectations and maintains fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of approximately $4.99 to $5.04. Verizon Buy, Sell, or Hold Post Q2 Earnings? Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The small transaction reduces his holdings by less than 1% and is unlikely to materially change the investment outlook. Neutral Sentiment: Articles criticizing Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF’s methodology and high-yield “dividend traps” concern other securities and do not directly alter Verizon’s fundamentals. Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Verizon’s final appeal of a $47 million FCC fine tied to customer location-data practices. The ruling ends the recovery effort and reinforces regulatory and privacy-compliance risks for the telecom operator. Supreme Court Rejects Verizon Bid to Recover $47M FCC Fine Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Moffett Nathanson dropped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.84. Read Our Latest Report on VZ

Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 109,866 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,348,276.88. The trade was a 0.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $49.28 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The company has a market cap of $204.76 billion, a PE ratio of 12.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a 50 day moving average of $45.45 and a 200-day moving average of $47.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.22 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is currently 73.70%.

(Free Report)

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.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications Bloom Energy’s AI Surge Meets a Valuation Reality Check Target Is Winning Shoppers Back—Can the Rally Reach $180? IonQ’s Space Contract Points to a New Frontier for Quantum Investors Is Apple’s AI Strategy Smarter Than Skeptics Think?

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Belpointe Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 10.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 107,573 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,514 shares during the quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,555,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Robinswood Financial LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the fourth 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. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other Verizon Communications news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 109,866 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,348,276.88. The trade was a 0.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have issued reports on VZ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.84. Read Our Latest Stock Report on VZ

Verizon Communications Stock Performance Verizon Communications stock opened at $49.28 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $45.45 and a 200-day moving average of $47.24. The firm has a market cap of $204.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.25. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The business had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 73.70%.

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

Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s fiber strategy is receiving attention following its Frontier acquisition. Greater fiber scale could support broadband growth, improve network economics and strengthen the company’s competitive position. Verizon Communications Leans Into Fiber After the Frontier Close Positive Sentiment: Income-focused coverage continues to highlight Verizon’s roughly 6% dividend yield and 20 consecutive years of dividend increases. Analysts note that the payout appears secure, although limited growth remains a consideration for investors. Verizon’s Dividend Looks Secure But Investors Should Keep an Eye on Growth Positive Sentiment: A post-earnings review presents Verizon as a potential buy-or-hold candidate for income investors. The company recently exceeded quarterly EPS expectations and maintains fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of approximately $4.99 to $5.04. Verizon Buy, Sell, or Hold Post Q2 Earnings? Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The small transaction reduces his holdings by less than 1% and is unlikely to materially change the investment outlook. Neutral Sentiment: Articles criticizing Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF’s methodology and high-yield “dividend traps” concern other securities and do not directly alter Verizon’s fundamentals. Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Verizon’s final appeal of a $47 million FCC fine tied to customer location-data practices. The ruling ends the recovery effort and reinforces regulatory and privacy-compliance risks for the telecom operator. Supreme Court Rejects Verizon Bid to Recover $47M FCC Fine (Free Report)

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.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications Bloom Energy’s AI Surge Meets a Valuation Reality Check Target Is Winning Shoppers Back—Can the Rally Reach $180? IonQ’s Space Contract Points to a New Frontier for Quantum Investors Is Apple’s AI Strategy Smarter Than Skeptics Think?

Receive News & Ratings for Verizon Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Verizon Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

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Own Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEARCA:VIG) for the income, and you are being quietly shortchanged by design. The S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index that VIG tracks removes the top 25% highest-yielding eligible names before construction. At each annual reconstitution, the top 25% of eligible stocks ranked by dividend yield are excluded from new admission, while existing holdings get a buffer and can remain unless they climb into the top 15%. In other words, some of the biggest dividend payers are screened out by design before they can ever enter VIG.

What You’re Actually Paying VIG’s expense ratio is not the problem. Vanguard charges just 0.04%, or roughly $4 annually for every $10,000 invested. Even compounded over 20 years, that fee has a minimal impact on long-term returns. The more important cost comes from the dividend income VIG’s methodology deliberately excludes.

Consider four names either screened out or nearly absent from VIG’s methodology. AT&T (NYSE:T | T Price Prediction) pays an annualized dividend of $1.11 at $24.90 a share. Verizon (NYSE:VZ) pays $2.83 annualized at $48.54. Altria pays $4.24 annualized at $65.19. Realty Income yields 4.95% and pays monthly. A dividend fund willing to include a slice of these names could throw off hundreds of extra dollars of annual income on a $10,000 stake. Compound that missed income across 10 or 20 years of reinvestment and the gap grows into thousands.

Realty Income’s monthly schedule is a perfect example. Investors who actually want checks arriving every 30 days, rather than quarterly, have options a rules-based growth screen won’t surface (we rounded up seven of our favorite monthly payers in a free report here: The 7 Monthly Dividend Stocks That Pay You Every 30 Days).

The Part the Factsheet Doesn’t Highlight The methodology is clear, albeit tucked deep within the prospectus. Said methodology states that companies must show at least 10 consecutive years of dividend increases to qualify. Then S&P discards the top quartile by indicated yield. High yields sometimes flag distress, so the screen has some defensive logic. It also means the fund is engineered to underweight income, then marketed to investors who buy dividend ETFs precisely for income.

The performance argument has cracks too. Over the past five years, Altria has returned 99.44%, ahead of VIG’s own 66.57%. AT&T returned 59.83% over the same window. The high-yield-equals-danger heuristic screens out real winners alongside real losers.

The second hidden cost is overlap. VIG’s largest weights concentrate in the same mega-cap quality names that anchor every broad Vanguard equity fund. VIG held $124.6 billion in net assets as of April 30, 2026, and much of that book duplicates what a total-market indexer already owns. The dividend-growth label can obscure what functions as a large-cap quality tilt.

The Cheaper Mirror Investors who want exposure to the yield VIG screens out have peers in the same category. Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHD) holds several high-yield names VIG excludes, with Verizon at 3.65% of the portfolio alongside energy and financial payers such as Chevron at 3.83%. SCHD closed May 2026 with $94.9 billion in net assets. iShares Core Dividend Growth (NASDAQ:DGRO) runs a fact-sheet expense ratio of 0.08% (still cheap) and skips the top-quartile yield cut. Over five years, VIG has returned 66.57% versus SCHD’s 60.82%, close enough that the recurring yield differential materially reshapes the total-return picture over time.

What This Means for You The relevant question is what you bought VIG to accomplish. If steady growth of a dividend-tinted large-cap sleeve was the goal, VIG delivers. If income was the goal, ask why your rulebook throws away the top 25% of the yield curve before you ever see a check.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lessened its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 18.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 923,647 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 207,742 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $39,107,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. USS Investment Management Ltd increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $35,790,000 after acquiring an additional 31,354 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 41.0% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 2,197,366 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $89,499,000 after acquiring an additional 639,380 shares during the period. Clarity Financial LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 697.0% during the fourth quarter. Clarity Financial LLC now owns 471,127 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $19,189,000 after acquiring an additional 412,018 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 15.3% in the fourth quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 2,382,975 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $97,059,000 after purchasing an additional 316,854 shares during the period. Finally, Keudell Morrison Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth about $2,171,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have weighed in on VZ shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.84.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Verizon Communications Verizon Communications Stock Performance Shares of VZ stock opened at $48.63 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $202.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The company’s 50-day moving average is $45.41 and its 200 day moving average is $47.17.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were given a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 73.70%.

Verizon Communications Company Profile (Free Report)

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.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications The AI Boom Is Turning This Cable Maker Into a Stock to Watch A Star Investor Just Trimmed Amazon—Here’s What It means Wendy’s Deal Buzz May Give Fast-Food Investors a New Reason to Look Home Depot Analysts See a Path to $375 and Beyond

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Calamos Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 725,217 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 28,817 shares during the quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $30,706,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Granite Harbor Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. Granite Harbor Advisors Inc. now owns 8,777 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $372,000 after acquiring an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. Kerusso Capital Management LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 23.4% during the second quarter. Kerusso Capital Management LLC now owns 105,388 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,462,000 after acquiring an additional 20,010 shares during the last quarter. Associated Banc Corp raised its position in Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the second quarter. Associated Banc Corp now owns 72,255 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,059,000 after acquiring an additional 3,631 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.0% in the second quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 1,294,850 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $54,824,000 after purchasing an additional 13,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tortuga Wealth Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the second quarter valued at about $1,513,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on VZ shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price target on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.84.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on VZ Verizon Communications Stock Performance NYSE:VZ opened at $48.63 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market cap of $202.05 billion, a PE ratio of 12.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.25. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (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 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. Verizon Communications’s revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.70%.

(Free Report)

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.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications The AI Boom Is Turning This Cable Maker Into a Stock to Watch A Star Investor Just Trimmed Amazon—Here’s What It means Wendy’s Deal Buzz May Give Fast-Food Investors a New Reason to Look Home Depot Analysts See a Path to $375 and Beyond Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report).

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First National Trust Co lowered its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) by 6.0% during the undefined quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 190,270 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 12,055 shares during the