Verizon Communications Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:VZ)
by Scott Moore · The Cerbat GemVerizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Investors acquired 276,566 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 278% compared to the average volume of 73,168 call options.
Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.3%
Shares of NYSE VZ traded down $0.11 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $40.46. 23,872,520 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 30,101,750. The company has a market cap of $170.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.34. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $40.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Verizon Communications has a one year low of $37.58 and a one year high of $47.35.
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $33.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.19 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 14.43% and a return on equity of 19.31%. The company’s revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be paid a $0.69 dividend. This represents a $2.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 58.97%.
Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,504,150,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,470,788,000 after buying an additional 7,276,809 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 51.1% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,512,228 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $637,812,000 after acquiring an additional 4,905,101 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 1.3% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 372,787,016 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $16,130,494,000 after acquiring an additional 4,615,075 shares during the period. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 21.5% in the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 21,159,040 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $915,552,000 after purchasing an additional 3,743,892 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.
More Verizon Communications News
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks finds VZ has outpaced its wireless peers over the past year thanks to 5G upgrades, network‑slicing and new partnerships that are supporting revenue growth and enterprise opportunities. Verizon Outpaces Its Industry in a Year: How to Play the Stock?
- Positive Sentiment: Yahoo Finance highlights Verizon’s Event Perks and Industrial IoT push — initiatives that could expand higher‑margin enterprise revenue and support longer‑term growth beyond consumer wireless. Should Verizon’s Event Perks and Industrial IoT Push Require Action From Verizon Communications (VZ) Investors?
- Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwind: commentary calling for large Fed rate cuts this year would be supportive for high‑yield names like Verizon (nearly 7% yield noted elsewhere), which can re-rate higher if rates fall. Fed Governor Wants Huge Rate Cuts This Year: 5 High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy Today
- Neutral Sentiment: Institutional flows and analyst coverage are mixed but noteworthy: large asset managers added sizable VZ positions and median price targets sit above the current share price, indicating analyst upside but no immediate catalyst. Verizon Communications Stock (VZ) Opinions on Job Cuts and Earnings Outlook
- Neutral Sentiment: Investor guides (The Motley Fool) flag Verizon as a high‑yield income idea but note slow organic growth — useful for income investors but not an immediate growth re‑rating catalyst. Here’s My Top High-Yield Dividend Stock to Buy in January
- Negative Sentiment: American Banking News flags that VZ hit a new 12‑month low, a technical and sentiment negative that can pressure the stock and trigger selling. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?
- Negative Sentiment: Social‑media and commentary highlighted widespread job‑cut reports and debate over dividend sustainability ahead of earnings — these personnel and payout concerns add downside risk if they dent execution or investor confidence. Verizon Communications Stock (VZ) Opinions on Job Cuts and Earnings Outlook
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
VZ has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BNP Paribas downgraded Verizon Communications from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Verizon Communications from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.50 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $47.47.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on VZ
Verizon Communications Company Profile
Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.
The company’s consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.