VZ – ReportWire

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) Shares Purchased by Bleakley Financial Group LLC

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Bleakley Financial Group LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 102,245 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 2,953 shares during the period. Bleakley Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,592,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in VZ. Koesten Hirschmann & Crabtree INC. acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Verizon Communications during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 50.4% in the first quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 883 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 296 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2,159.1% in the 1st quarter. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 994 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 950 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VZ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, July 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 26th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $46.50 to $47.25 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $46.31.

Get Our Latest Report on Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $43.99 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $42.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.29. The company has a market cap of $185.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.02 and a beta of 0.42. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $31.26 and a 12-month high of $45.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 22nd. The cell phone carrier reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 8.38% and a return on equity of 20.10%. The firm had revenue of $32.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.21 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 10th will be given a dividend of $0.678 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 10th. This represents a $2.71 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.17%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 101.12%.

About Verizon Communications

(Free Report)

Verizon Communications Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of communications, technology, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental entities worldwide. It operates in two segments, Verizon Consumer Group (Consumer) and Verizon Business Group (Business).

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ)

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October 19, 2024

Second Line Capital LLC Acquires 3,016 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)

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Second Line Capital LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 44.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,811 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,016 shares during the period. Second Line Capital LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $405,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,760 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $732,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 0.4% in the second quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 54,926 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $2,240,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. Sawgrass Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.2% during the second quarter. Sawgrass Asset Management LLC now owns 21,568 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $889,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Fermata Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. Fermata Advisors LLC now owns 5,383 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $222,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the period. Finally, BKM Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 7.4% in the 1st quarter. BKM Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,715 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $44.89 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $41.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $40.95. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $30.14 and a fifty-two week high of $45.05. The firm has a market cap of $188.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.75, a P/E/G ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.42.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 22nd. The cell phone carrier reported $1.15 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15. The company had revenue of $32.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.05 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 20.10% and a net margin of 8.38%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.21 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, October 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.678 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 10th. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.71 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.04%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 101.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VZ. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Bank of America upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, July 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.09.

Read Our Latest Research Report on VZ

Verizon Communications Company Profile

(Free Report)

Verizon Communications Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of communications, technology, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental entities worldwide. It operates in two segments, Verizon Consumer Group (Consumer) and Verizon Business Group (Business).

Verizon Mobile Customers Could Split $100 Million Settlement. Here’s How.

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Verizon mobile phone customers could share a proposed $100 million class action settlement over monthly fees that people suing the communications company claim were unfairly charged and improperly disclosed. But those who want to claim their share of that money need to act by April 15.

Continue reading this article with a Barron’s subscription.

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January 3, 2024

AT&T and Verizon Stocks Are Out of Favor. That’s a Buying Opportunity, Citi Says.

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Investors have been down on

AT&T

and

Verizon

Communications stock this year amid fears over lead-cable contamination, wireless competition and slowing industry growth.

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August 29, 2023

F5, Logitech, Cadence Design, GE, GM, Microsoft, Alphabet, and More Stock Market Movers

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This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit http://www.djreprints.com.

https://www.barrons.com/articles/stock-market-movers-9cc9fac3

Updated July 25, 2023 5:37 am ET / Original July 25, 2023 4:55 am ET

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July 25, 2023

Vicus Capital Reduces Position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)

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Vicus Capital lessened its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 11.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,097 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 884 shares during the quarter. Vicus Capital’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $276,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VZ. SkyOak Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. SkyOak Wealth LLC now owns 116,563 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,533,000 after purchasing an additional 939 shares during the period. Park Place Capital Corp raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 17.1% during the 1st quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 52,337 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $2,035,000 after purchasing an additional 7,628 shares during the period. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL now owns 826,859 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $32,157,000 after purchasing an additional 31,881 shares during the period. Maple Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Maple Capital Management Inc. now owns 191,186 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $7,435,000 after acquiring an additional 7,587 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.0% in the 1st quarter. Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 52,719 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $2,050,000 after acquiring an additional 5,205 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.83% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 7,585 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.30, for a total value of $275,335.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 8,582 shares in the company, valued at approximately $311,526.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Verizon Communications stock opened at $33.88 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $142.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.70. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $31.25 and a 1 year high of $46.50. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $35.54 and a two-hundred day moving average of $37.86.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $32.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.64 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 15.85% and a return on equity of 23.31%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.35 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 10th will be issued a $0.6525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 7th. This represents a $2.61 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.70%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $44.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Tuesday, July 18th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $40.00 to $36.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $46.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. HSBC dropped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $42.50 to $39.00 in a research note on Monday, June 5th. Finally, Edward Jones cut shares of Verizon Communications from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 17th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $44.33.

Verizon Communications Profile

(Free Report)

Verizon Communications Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides communications, technology, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental entities worldwide. It operates in two segments, Verizon Consumer Group (Consumer) and Verizon Business Group (Business).

AT&T, Verizon Investors Have More Than Lead Cables to Worry About

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AT&T, Verizon Investors Have More Than Lead Cables to Worry About

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July 23, 2023

Are AT&T and Verizon’s Dividends Safe? What the Math Says.

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Are AT&T and Verizon’s Dividends Safe? What the Math Says.

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July 18, 2023

AT&T’s stock sinks toward 30-year low as it nabs another downgrade

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Shares of AT&T Inc. were falling again Monday after a Citi Research analyst weighed in with a more cautious view in light of recent reporting on legacy use of lead-sheathed cables within the telecommunications industry.

Citi’s Michael Rollins cut his rating on AT&T’s stock
T,
-6.69%
to neutral from buy Monday, writing that it was among names that could see an “overhang” following The Wall Street Journal’s recent reporting on risks related to industry’s historical use of lead-sheathed cabling as Wall Street works to understand potential financial implications.

He also downgraded shares of Frontier Communications Parent Inc.
FYBR,
-15.79%
and Telephone & Data Systems Inc.
TDS,
-8.38%
to neutral from buy, and he already had a neutral rating on Verizon Communications Inc.’s stock
VZ,
-7.50%.

“First, copper network deployed with possible lead sheathing could be a significant percentage of the legacy network deployed nationally with varying exposures for each firm,” Rollins wrote. He said he was “unable to specifically quantify financial risks (if anything material)” for wireline telecommunications companies stemming from these issues, though “the timing to receive more information could take at least a couple months and full resolution could take years.”

AT&T’s stock was off 3.8% in Monday morning action, to a recent $13.95, and on track to close at its lowest level since March 24, 1993, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The stock is on pace to spend a ninth-straight session without a daily gain, factoring in one day of flat performance last week alongside a string of daily losses.

“We still expect the company to display forward progress on cash flow generation and setting the stage to reduce net debt leverage over the next two years before considering any potential liabilities, if anything material, associated with lead sheathed cables,” Rollins wrote, though he called out “uncertainty from the industry’s use of lead-sheathed cabling” as a key reason for the downgrade.

Frontier shares were down 8.2%, while TDS shares were off 5.0%. Verizon’s stock was down 1.6% and on pace for its eighth consecutive losing session.

USTelecom, a trade association that counts AT&T and Verizon as members, said in a statement that the telecommunications industry “has a long tradition of closely following science and evidence as it relates to public health, environmental protection, and worker safety issues,” while “safe work practices within the industry have proven effective in reducing potential lead exposures to workers.”

There are “many considerations” that go into deciding whether to remove legacy cables, “including those regarding the safety of workers who must handle the cables, potential impacts on the environment, the age and composition of the cables, their geographic location, and customer needs as well as the needs of the business and infrastructure demands,” the spokesperson continued.

The trade group said in a prior statement that it had “not seen, nor have regulators identified, evidence that legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue.”

Representatives from Frontier and TDS couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Rollins noted in his report that “Verizon and AT&T indicated their expectation as that the exposure should be small,” though he said that “for Verizon, we learned the term ‘small’ could be as much as 20% of its copper network infrastructure.”

Don’t miss: Verizon CEO says the wireless market isn’t such a bad business after all

He joined JPMorgan’s Philip Cusick, who downgraded AT&T’s stock Friday and mentioned potential lead-cable liabilities as a concern.

SVB MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett weighed in on the issue as well Monday, calling out heavy uncertainty.

“The unsatisfying, but honest, answer is that at this point we have nothing but unknowns to work with and no real way to quantify the companies’ exposures,” he wrote. “Lead risk is clearly not a good thing, but we don’t know how bad it will ultimately be. It would be disingenuous to try putting firm numbers around it.”

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July 17, 2023

AT&T Gets an Upgrade. Why Analysts Are Still Cautious.

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AT&T ‘Has Led the Way Down’ for Telecoms. Why the Stock Still Grabbed an Upgrade.

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June 6, 2023

4 REITs to Consider–and 2 to Avoid

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Postpandemic Las Vegas is booming. Above, the Luxor Hotel and Casino.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Real estate investment trusts have had a tough couple of years, but opportunities abound—if you know where to look.

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June 1, 2023

VZ Stock Price | Verizon Communications Inc. Stock Quote (U.S.: NYSE) | MarketWatch

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Verizon Communications, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of communications, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental agencies. It operates through the Verizon Consumer Group (Consumer) and Verizon Business Group (Business) segments. The Consumer segment provides consumer-focused wireless and wire line communications services and products. The Business segment offers wireless and wire line communications services and products, video and data services, corporate networking solutions, security and managed network services, local and long distance voice services, and network access to deliver various Internet of Things (IoT) services and products. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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January 24, 2023

Best stock picks for 2023: Here are Wall Street analysts’ most heavily favored choices

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Following a sharp and sustained rise in interest rates, U.S. stocks have taken a broad beating this year.

But 2023 may bring very different circumstances.

Below are lists of analysts’ favorite stocks among the benchmark S&P 500
SPX,
the S&P 400 Mid Cap Index
MID
and the S&P Small Cap 600 Index
SML
that are expected to rise the most over the next year. Those lists are followed by a summary of opinions of all 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA.

Stocks rallied on Dec. 13 when the November CPI report showed a much slower inflation pace than economists had expected. Investors were also anticipating the Federal Open Market Committee’s next monetary policy announcement on Dec. 14. The consensus among economists polled by FactSet is for the Federal Reserve to raise the federal funds rate by 0.50% to a target range of 4.50% to 4.75%.

Read: 5 things to watch when the Fed makes its interest-rate decision

A 0.50% increase would be a slowdown from the four previous increases of 0.75%. The rate began 2022 in a range of zero to 0.25%, where it had sat since March 2020.

A pivot for the Fed Reserve and the possibility that the federal funds rate will reach its “terminal” rate (the highest for this cycle) in the near term could set the stage for a broad rally for stocks in 2023.

Wall Street’s large-cap favorites

Among the S&P 500, 92 stocks are rated “buy” or the equivalent by at least 75% of analysts working for brokerage firms. That number itself is interesting — at the end of 2021, 93 of the S&P 500 had this distinction. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has declined 16% in 2022, with all sectors down except for energy, which has risen 53%, and the utilities sector, which his risen 1% (both excluding dividends).

Here are the 20 stocks in the S&P 500 with at least 75% “buy” or equivalent ratings that analysts expect to rise the most over the next year, based on consensus price targets:

Company	Ticker	Industry	Closing price – Dec. 12	Consensus price target	Implied 12-month upside potential	Share “buy” ratings	Price change – 2022 through Dec. 12
EQT Corp.	EQT	Oil and Gas Production	$36.91	$59.70	62%	78%	69%
Catalent Inc.	CTLT	Pharmaceuticals	$45.50	$72.42	59%	75%	-64%
Amazon.com Inc.	AMZN	Internet Retail	$90.55	$136.02	50%	91%	-46%
Global Payments Inc.	GPN	Misc. Commercial Services	$99.64	$147.43	48%	75%	-26%
Signature Bank	SBNY	Regional Banks	$122.73	$180.44	47%	78%	-62%
Salesforce Inc.	CRM	Software	$133.11	$195.59	47%	80%	-48%
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. Class A	BIO	Medical Specialties	$418.28	$591.00	41%	100%	-45%
Zoetis Inc. Class A	ZTS	Pharmaceuticals	$152.86	$212.80	39%	87%	-37%
Delta Air Lines Inc.	DAL	Airlines	$34.77	$48.31	39%	90%	-11%
Diamondback Energy Inc.	FANG	Oil and Gas Production	$134.21	$182.33	36%	84%	24%
Caesars Entertainment Inc	CZR	Casinos/ Gaming	$50.27	$67.79	35%	81%	-46%
Alphabet Inc. Class A	GOOGL	Internet Software/ Services	$93.31	$125.70	35%	92%	-36%
Halliburton Co.	HAL	Oilfield Services/ Equipment	$34.30	$45.95	34%	86%	50%
Alaska Air Group Inc.	ALK	Airlines	$45.75	$61.08	34%	93%	-12%
Targa Resources Corp.	TRGP	Gas Distributors	$70.42	$93.95	33%	95%	35%
Charles River Laboratories International Inc.	CRL	Misc. Commercial Services	$201.94	$269.25	33%	88%	-46%
ServiceNow Inc.	NOW	Information Technology Services	$401.64	$529.83	32%	92%	-38%
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.	TTWO	Software	$102.61	$135.04	32%	79%	-42%
EOG Resources Inc.	EOG	Oil and Gas Production	$124.06	$158.24	28%	82%	40%
Southwest Airlines Co.	LUV	Airlines	$38.94	$49.56	27%	76%	-9%
Source: FactSet

Most of the companies on the S&P 500 list expected to soar in 2023 have seen large declines in 2022. But the company at the top of the list, EQT Corp.
EQT,
is an exception. The stock has risen 69% in 2022 and is expected to add another 62% over the next 12 months. Analysts expect the company’s earnings per share to double during 2023 (in part from its expected acquisition of THQ), after nearly a four-fold EPS increase in 2022.

Shares of Amazon.com Inc.
AMZN
are expected to soar 50% over the next year, following a decline of 46% so far in 2022. If the shares were to rise 50% from here to the price target of $136.02, they would still be 18% below their closing price of 166.72 at the end of 2021.

Read: Here’s why Amazon is Citi’s top internet stock idea

You can see the earnings estimates and more for any stock in this article by clicking on its ticker.

Click here for Tomi Kilgore’s detailed guide to the wealth of information available for free on the MarketWatch quote page.

Mid-cap stocks expected to rise the most

The lists of favored stocks are limited to those covered by at least five analysts polled by FactSet.

Among components of the S&P 400 Mid Cap Index, there are 84 stocks with at least 75% “buy” ratings. Here at the 20 expected to rise the most over the next year:

Company	Ticker	Industry	Closing price – Dec. 12	Consensus price target	Implied 12-month upside potential	Share “buy” ratings	Price change – 2022 through Dec. 12
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc.	ARWR	Biotechnology	$31.85	$69.69	119%	83%	-52%
Lantheus Holdings Inc.	LNTH	Medical Specialties	$54.92	$102.00	86%	100%	90%
Progyny Inc.	PGNY	Misc. Commercial Services	$31.21	$55.57	78%	100%	-38%
Coherent Corp.	COHR	Electronic Equipment/ Instruments	$35.41	$60.56	71%	84%	-48%
Exelixis Inc.	EXEL	Biotechnology	$16.08	$26.07	62%	81%	-12%
Darling Ingredients Inc.	DAR	Food: Specialty/ Candy	$61.17	$97.36	59%	93%	-12%
Perrigo Co. PLC	PRGO	Pharmaceuticals	$31.83	$49.25	55%	100%	-18%
Mattel Inc.	MAT	Recreational Products	$17.39	$26.58	53%	87%	-19%
ACI Worldwide Inc.	ACIW	Software	$20.75	$31.40	51%	83%	-40%
Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.	MODG	Recreational Products	$21.99	$32.91	50%	83%	-20%
Dycom Industries Inc.	DY	Engineering and Construction	$86.03	$128.13	49%	100%	-8%
Travel + Leisure Co.	TNL	Hotels/ Resorts/ Cruiselines	$37.98	$56.00	47%	75%	-31%
Frontier Communications Parent Inc.	FYBR	Telecommunications	$25.21	$36.18	44%	82%	-15%
Manhattan Associates Inc.	MANH	Software	$120.06	$171.80	43%	88%	-23%
MP Materials Corp Class A	MP	Other Metals/ Minerals	$31.39	$44.79	43%	92%	-31%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.	LITE	Electrical Products	$54.45	$76.44	40%	76%	-49%
Tenet Healthcare Corp.	THC	Hospital/ Nursing Management	$44.22	$62.00	40%	80%	-46%
Repligen Corp.	RGEN	Pharmaceuticals	$166.88	$233.10	40%	82%	-37%
STAAR Surgical Co.	STAA	Medical Specialties	$59.57	$82.67	39%	82%	-35%
Carlisle Cos. Inc.	CSL	Building Products	$251.99	$348.33	38%	75%	2%
Source: FactSet

Wall Street’s favorite small-cap names

Among companies in the S&P Small Cap 600 Index, 91 are rated “buy” or the equivalent by at least 75% of analysts. Here are the 20 with the highest 12-month upside potential indicated by consensus price targets:

Company	Ticker	Industry	Closing price – Dec. 12	Consensus price target	Implied 12-month upside potential	Share “buy” ratings	Price change – 2022 through Dec. 12
UniQure NV	QURE	Biotechnology	$22.99	$51.29	123%	95%	11%
Cara Therapeutics Inc.	CARA	Biotechnology	$11.34	$23.63	108%	88%	-7%
Vir Biotechnology Inc.	VIR	Biotechnology	$25.50	$53.00	108%	75%	-39%
Dynavax Technologies Corp.	DVAX	Biotechnology	$11.22	$23.20	107%	100%	-20%
Thryv Holdings Inc.	THRY	Advertising/ Marketing Services	$18.40	$36.75	100%	100%	-55%
Artivion Inc.	AORT	Medical Specialties	$12.93	$23.13	79%	83%	-36%
Cytokinetics Inc.	CYTK	Pharmaceuticals	$38.33	$67.43	76%	100%	-16%
Harsco Corp.	HSC	Environmental Services	$7.17	$12.30	72%	80%	-57%
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc.	LGND	Pharmaceuticals	$64.80	$110.83	71%	100%	-35%
Corcept Therapeutics Inc.	CORT	Pharmaceuticals	$20.84	$34.20	64%	80%	5%
Payoneer Global Inc.	PAYO	Misc. Commercial Services	$5.70	$9.33	64%	100%	-22%
Xencor Inc.	XNCR	Biotechnology	$28.69	$46.71	63%	93%	-28%
Pacira Biosciences Inc.	PCRX	Pharmaceuticals	$45.50	$72.90	60%	80%	-24%
BioLife Solutions Inc.	BLFS	Chemicals	$19.72	$31.38	59%	89%	-47%
Customers Bancorp Inc.	CUBI	Regional Banks	$30.00	$47.63	59%	75%	-54%
ModivCare Inc.	MODV	Other Transportation	$92.22	$145.83	58%	100%	-38%
Stride Inc.	LRN	Consumer Services	$32.56	$51.25	57%	100%	-2%
Ranger Oil Corp. Class A	ROCC	Oil and Gas Production	$36.98	$58.00	57%	100%	37%
Outfront Media Inc.	OUT	Real Estate Investment Trusts	$17.59	$27.00	53%	83%	-34%
Walker & Dunlop Inc.	WD	Finance/ Rental/ Leasing	$82.22	$125.20	52%	100%	-46%
Source: FactSet

The Dow

Here are all 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average ranked by how much analysts expect their prices to rise over the next year:

Company	Ticker	Industry	Closing price – Dec. 12	Consensus price target	Implied 12-month upside potential	Share “buy” ratings	Price change – 2022 through Dec. 12
Salesforce Inc.	CRM	Software	$133.11	$195.59	47%	80%	-48%
Walt Disney Co.	DIS	Movies/ Entertainment	$94.66	$119.60	26%	82%	-39%
Apple Inc.	AAPL	Telecommunications Equipment	$144.49	$173.70	20%	74%	-19%
Verizon Communications Inc.	VZ	Telecommunications	$37.95	$44.60	18%	21%	-27%
Visa Inc. Class A	V	Misc.s Commercial Services	$214.59	$249.33	16%	86%	-1%
Microsoft Corp.	MSFT	Software	$252.51	$293.06	16%	91%	-25%
Chevron Corp.	CVX	Integrated Oil	$169.75	$191.20	13%	54%	45%
Cisco Systems Inc.	CSCO	Information Technology Services	$49.30	$53.76	9%	44%	-22%
UnitedHealth Group Inc.	UNH	Managed Health Care	$545.86	$593.30	9%	85%	9%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc.	GS	Investment Banks/ Brokers	$363.18	$392.63	8%	59%	-5%
Walmart Inc.	WMT	Specialty Stores	$148.02	$159.86	8%	72%	2%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.	JPM	Banks	$134.21	$143.84	7%	59%	-15%
Home Depot Inc.	HD	Home Improvement Chains	$327.98	$346.61	6%	61%	-21%
American Express Co.	AXP	Finance/ Rental/ Leasing	$157.31	$164.57	5%	43%	-4%
McDonald’s Corp.	MCD	Restaurants	$276.62	$288.67	4%	72%	3%
Johnson & Johnson	JNJ	Pharmaceuticals	$177.84	$185.35	4%	36%	4%
Coca-Cola Co.	KO	Beverages: Non-Alcoholic	$63.97	$66.62	4%	73%	8%
Boeing Co.	BA	Aerospace and Defense	$186.27	$192.69	3%	77%	-7%
Intel Corp.	INTC	Semiconductors	$28.69	$29.54	3%	13%	-44%
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.	WBA	Drugstore Chains	$41.06	$42.24	3%	17%	-21%
Merck & Co. Inc.	MRK	Pharmaceuticals	$108.97	$110.62	2%	65%	42%
Caterpillar Inc.	CAT	Trucks/ Construction/ Farm Machinery	$233.06	$236.23	1%	41%	13%
Honeywell International Inc.	HON	Aerospace and Defense	$214.50	$217.35	1%	54%	3%
Nike Inc. Class B	NKE	Apparel/ Footwear	$112.07	$112.58	0%	64%	-33%
3M Co.	MMM	Industrial Conglomerates	$126.85	$127.30	0%	5%	-29%
Procter & Gamble Co.	PG	Household/ Personal Care	$152.47	$150.22	-1%	59%	-7%
Travelers Companies Inc.	TRV	Multi-Line Insurance	$187.11	$184.24	-2%	18%	20%
Amgen Inc.	AMGN	Biotechnology	$276.78	$264.79	-4%	24%	23%
Dow Inc.	DOW	Chemicals	$51.11	$48.73	-5%	15%	-10%
International Business Machines Corp.	IBM	Information Technology Services	$149.21	$140.29	-6%	33%	12%
Source: FactSet

Don’t miss: 10 Dividend Aristocrat stocks expected by analysts to rise up to 54% in 2023

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December 13, 2022

20 dividend stocks that may be safest if the Federal Reserve causes a recession

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Investors cheered when a report last week showed the economy expanded in the third quarter after back-to-back contractions.

But it’s too early to get excited, because the Federal Reserve hasn’t given any sign yet that it is about to stop raising interest rates at the fastest pace in decades.

Below is a list of dividend stocks that have had low price volatility over the past 12 months, culled from three large exchange traded funds that screen for high yields and quality in different ways.

In a year when the S&P 500
SPX,
-0.40%
is down 18%, the three ETFs have widely outperformed, with the best of the group falling only 1%.

Read: GDP looked great for the U.S. economy, but it really wasn’t

That said, last week was a very good one for U.S. stocks, with the S&P 500 returning 4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
-0.32%
having its best October ever.

This week, investors’ eyes turn back to the Federal Reserve. Following a two-day policy meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee is expected to make its fourth consecutive increase of 0.75% to the federal funds rate on Wednesday.

The inverted yield curve, with yields on two-year U.S. Treasury notes
TMUBMUSD02Y,
4.540%
exceeding yields on 10-year notes
TMUBMUSD10Y,
4.064%,
indicates investors in the bond market expect a recession. Meanwhile, this has been a difficult earnings season for many companies and analysts have reacted by lowering their earnings estimates.

The weighted rolling consensus 12-month earning estimate for the S&P 500, based on estimates of analysts polled by FactSet, has declined 2% over the past month to $230.60. In a healthy economy, investors expect this number to rise every quarter, at least slightly.

Low-volatility stocks are working in 2022

Take a look at this chart, showing year-to-date total returns for the three ETFs against the S&P 500 through October:

FactSet

The three dividend-stock ETFs take different approaches:

The $40.6 billion Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
SCHD,
+0.15%
tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Indexed quarterly. This approach incorporates 10-year screens for cash flow, debt, return on equity and dividend growth for quality and safety. It excludes real estate investment trusts (REITs). The ETF’s 30-day SEC yield was 3.79% as of Sept. 30.
The iShares Select Dividend ETF
DVY,
+0.45%
has $21.7 billion in assets. It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index, which is weighted by dividend yield and “skews toward smaller firms paying consistent dividends,” according to FactSet. It holds about 100 stocks, includes REITs and looks back five years for dividend growth and payout ratios. The ETF’s 30-day yield was 4.07% as of Sept. 30.
The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF
SPYD,
+0.60%
has $7.8 billion in assets and holds 80 stocks, taking an equal-weighted approach to investing in the top-yielding stocks among the S&P 500. It’s 30-day yield was 4.07% as of Sept. 30.

All three ETFs have fared well this year relative to the S&P 500. The funds’ beta — a measure of price volatility against that of the S&P 500 (in this case) — have ranged this year from 0.75 to 0.76, according to FactSet. A beta of 1 would indicate volatility matching that of the index, while a beta above 1 would indicate higher volatility.

Now look at this five-year total return chart showing the three ETFs against the S&P 500 over the past five years:

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF ranks highest for five-year total return with dividends reinvested — it is the only one of the three to beat the index for this period.

Screening for the least volatile dividend stocks

Together, the three ETFs hold 194 stocks. Here are the 20 with the lowest 12-month beta. The list is sorted by beta, ascending, and dividend yields range from 2.45% to 8.13%:

Company	Ticker	12-month beta	Dividend yield	2022 total return
Newmont Corp.	NEM, -0.78%	0.17	5.20%	-30%
Verizon Communications Inc.	VZ, -0.07%	0.22	6.98%	-24%
General Mills Inc.	GIS, -1.47%	0.27	2.65%	25%
Kellogg Co.	K, -0.93%	0.27	3.07%	22%
Merck & Co. Inc.	MRK, -1.73%	0.29	2.73%	35%
Kraft Heinz Co.	KHC, -0.56%	0.35	4.16%	11%
City Holding Co.	CHCO, -1.45%	0.38	2.58%	27%
CVB Financial Corp.	CVBF, -1.24%	0.38	2.79%	37%
First Horizon Corp.	FHN, -0.18%	0.39	2.45%	53%
Avista Corp.	AVA, -7.82%	0.41	4.29%	0%
NorthWestern Corp.	NWE, -0.21%	0.42	4.77%	-4%
Altria Group Inc	MO, -0.18%	0.43	8.13%	4%
Northwest Bancshares Inc.	NWBI, +0.10%	0.45	5.31%	11%
AT&T Inc.	T, +0.63%	0.47	6.09%	5%
Flowers Foods Inc.	FLO, -0.44%	0.48	3.07%	7%
Mercury General Corp.	MCY, +0.07%	0.48	4.38%	-43%
Conagra Brands Inc.	CAG, -0.82%	0.48	3.60%	10%
Amgen Inc.	AMGN, +0.41%	0.49	2.87%	23%
Safety Insurance Group Inc.	SAFT, -1.70%	0.49	4.14%	5%
Tyson Foods Inc. Class A	TSN, -0.40%	0.50	2.69%	-20%
Source: FactSet

Any list of stocks will have its dogs, but 16 of these 20 have outperformed the S&P 500 so far in 2022, and 14 have had positive total returns.

You can click on the tickers for more about each company. Click here for Tomi Kilgore’s detailed guide to the wealth of information available free on the MarketWatch quote page.

Don’t miss: Municipal bond yields are attractive now — here’s how to figure out if they are right for you

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November 1, 2022

3 High Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold

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When it comes to finding great stocks to hold for the long-term, investors have many routes that can be taken to accumulate wealth.

Some stocks are value-oriented, offering shareholders a cheap purchase price relative to the earnings power of the business. Some offer high levels of growth, promising future price appreciation based upon much higher earnings. And of course, some offer high dividend yields, which are attractive not only for income-oriented investors that want to use dividends to live off of, but for those that want to reinvest dividends as well.

We believe the sweet spot of dividend stocks is to buy ones that have more than one of these traits, and in this article, we’ll take a look at three high-dividend stocks we think investors can hold for the long-term.

Hear Me Now on This One

Our first stock is Verizon Communications (VZ) , which offers communications, technology, and entertainment products and services to consumers and businesses globally. The company is perhaps most known for its wireless phone service, and the hardware sales related to that business. Verizon has an enormous, nationwide 5G network built out to support that business, giving it a competitive advantage in that space. The company has about 115 million wireless retail connections, in addition to seven million broadband connections, and about four million Fios connections.

Verizon was formed in 1983, generates about $137 billion in annual revenue, and trades today with a market cap of $153 billion.

Despite being what amounts to a utility, Verizon actually has a decent history of earnings growth. In fact, the company’s five-year earnings-per-share growth rate has averaged nearly 7%. We think Verizon’s growth going forward will be more like 4% annually, and that it will be driven by revenue growth, primarily. Verizon is buying back stock in small quantities, so it is likely to see a modest tailwind from that effort as well.

The stock is extremely cheaply valued today as well, as it trades for just 7 times this year’s earnings estimates. That compares very favorably to our estimate of fair value at 11 times earnings, and given this, we expect a 9%+ tailwind to total returns from the valuation alone in the years to come.

Verizon is cheaply valued, and has a decent growth outlook, but its dividend is likely to catch the attention of investors as well. The stock has seen rising dividends for the past 18 years, a period which has encompassed multiple recessionary periods. The rate of dividend growth in the past decade has averaged under 3%, so it’s not a hugely impressive dividend growth stock. However, the shares yield a massive 7.2% today, which is the highest yield Verizon has ever had. That puts it in rarified company from a yield perspective.

Finally, we expect the payout ratio to be just 50% of earnings for this year, meaning the dividend is very safe, particularly given Verizon’s predictable earnings. That also means there’s ample room to continue raising the payout for years to come.

A History of Growth

Our second stock is Enbridge (ENB) , an energy infrastructure company that is based in Canada. Enbridge is a diversified energy company that operates five segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission and Midstream, Gas Distribution and Storage, Renewable Power Generation, and Energy Services. Through these segments the company offers a wide variety of services, including pipelines and terminals for crude oil and other hydrocarbon liquids such as natural gas, storage facilities, and renewable power generation.

The company was founded in 1949, generates about $39 billion in annual revenue, and trades with a market cap of $77 billion.

Enbridge, like Verizon, has a fairly strong history of growth. Enbridge has grown its cash flow per share by more than 6% annually in the past five years. We see 4% going forward, driven by big investments the company has made in new projects in recent years.

We see fair value for the stock at 11 times earnings, but the shares trade today at just 9.4 times earnings. Therefore, in addition to the 4% growth rate, we expect a 3%+ tailwind to shareholder returns from a rising valuation over time.

Enbridge has raised its payout for an impressive 27 consecutive years, which is a rarity in the highly cyclical energy sector. In addition, over the past decade the company’s dividend has averaged 11% annual growth, so Enbridge is very strong on the dividend growth front. This has helped drive the yield to 6.9% today, which is elevated for Enbridge on a historical basis.

The payout ratio for this year should be about two-thirds of cash flow, so like Verizon, we see Enbridge’s nearly-7% yield as quite safe, and with further room to grow.

Fit for a ‘King’

Our final stock is Altria Group (MO) , which manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the U.S. The company makes and distributes cigarettes under the ubiquitous Marlboro brand, cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand, and moist smokeless tobacco under the brands of Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky. Altria also has strategic investments in Cronos, a cannabis brand, and Juul, a vaping brand.

Altria was founded in 1822, produces about $21 billion in annual revenue, and trades today with a market cap of $82 billion.

Altria’s EPS have grown at about 7.5% annually in the past five years, despite the fact that the market for smokers in the U.S. continues to decline. The company has been able to push through many pricing increases to help offset waning demand, and that has helped boost profitability. We see more modest 1.4% annual growth going forward as we think revenue increases will be more difficult to come by in the coming years.

Fair value for Altria is 11 times earnings, and today, the shares go for 9.5 times this year’s estimate. That leaves the potential for a ~3% tailwind to shareholder returns in the years to come from a rising earnings multiple.

Altria’s dividend history is nothing short of exemplary, with the company having raised its payout for 52 consecutive years. That makes Altria a member of the elite Dividend Kings, a group of stocks that have raised their dividends for at least half a century consecutively. In addition to that, Altria has boosted its dividend over the past decade by nearly 8% annually. That has helped drive the yield to its current value of 8.1%, which is more than 5x that of the S&P 500.

The stock’s payout ratio is 74% for this year, so it still has room for many years of growth given the company’s highly predictable earnings.

Final Thoughts

While not all high-dividend stocks are worth owning, there are some that are offering shareholders truly outstanding value today. We like Verizon, Enbridge, and Altria for their combination of dividend longevity, safe payout ratios, low valuations, and very high dividend yields. Given these factors, we rate all three a buy today for long-term investors.

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October 30, 2022

Can Verizon Reconnect With Investors After Hitting a 52-Week Low?

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By
BRUCE KAMICH

Oct 22, 2022 | 07:00 AM EDT

Stocks quotes in this article:

VZ

When we reviewed shares of Verizon Communications ( VZ) back on August 31 when we wrote, “Avoid the long side of VZ as the short and long-term charts are bearish.”

On Friday shares of VZ sank to a new 52-week low on the heels of missing analyst estimates of Q3 subscribers.

Let’s check the charts and indicators.

In this daily bar chart of VZ, below, we can see a downside price gap on Friday. A new 52-week low was reached. Prices are well below the declining 50-day moving average line and below the weak 200-day line.

The On-Balance-Volume (OBV) has made new lows for the move down as well and confirms the observation that sellers of VZ have been more aggressive than buyers. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) oscillator is bearish.

In this weekly Japanese candlestick chart of VZ, below, we have a negative picture. Prices have made a “parabolic” decline the past few months. VZ is below the bearish 40-week moving average line. The weekly trading volume has not given us a clue that weak hands have sold and strong hands have bought.

The weekly OBV line is bearish and the MACD oscillator is bearish.

In this daily Point and Figure chart of VZ, below, we can see that prices have reached and exceeded a downside price target in the $36 area.

In this weekly Point and Figure chart of VZ, below, we used a five box reversal filter. Here the software suggests a price target in the $31 area.

Bottom line strategy: In full disclosure I have been a VZ customer for over 25 years but that loyalty does not make the charts more attractive. VZ could fall further in the weeks ahead.

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Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

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See Also

Postpandemic Las Vegas is booming. Above, the Luxor Hotel and Casino.

Wall Street’s large-cap favorites

Mid-cap stocks expected to rise the most

Wall Street’s favorite small-cap names

The Dow

Low-volatility stocks are working in 2022

Screening for the least volatile dividend stocks

Hear Me Now on This One

A History of Growth

Fit for a ‘King’

Final Thoughts

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