Any Verizon (VZ) opinions?

[target2019]

VZ yield may be rising, but that is largely due to the stock price dropping.

The dividend is only up 2% or so each year.

Earlier this week I needed cash to transfer. VZ and T were the first to go.

These were part of positions my father-in-law purchased in the 90's. Cost basis reset in 2018, so there were capital losses to harvest.

As some others do, I use SCHD instad of building out individual companies. VZ is not in the current top 10 of this fund (maybe 10 or 11). The point is that holding 100 companies is much better than holding a few.

AVGO BROADCOM INC
4.36%

UPS UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC CLASS B
4.22%

TXN TEXAS INSTRUMENT INC
4.12%

HD HOME DEPOT INC
4.09%

CSCO CISCO SYSTEMS INC
3.96%

PEP PEPSICO INC
3.95%

CVX CHEVRON CORP
3.88%

AMGN AMGEN INC
3.86%

KO COCA-COLA
3.86%

MRK MERCK & CO INC
3.84%

 

[Dawg52]

Actually VZ is among top 10 holdings for SCHD.

Looks like I own some then.

I owned the stock and other nice yielding stocks several years ago but decided to go the ETF route to diversify more and to take a more hands off approach.

 

[aja8888]

No one has mentioned the news that Amazon is interested in getting into the discounted phone service and leasing bandwidth from VZ, T Mobile or T to do this. It would be for Prime members, I think. This is one eason VZ and T stocks are falling as they may lose lots of subscribers.

 

[MarieIG]

No one has mentioned the news that Amazon is interested in getting into the discounted phone service and leasing bandwidth from VZ, T Mobile or T to do this. It would be for Prime members, I think. This is one eason VZ and T stocks are falling as they may lose lots of subscribers.

I did hear that - on one of the many financial podcasts - but didn't remember which one. There are also issues with the legacy cell phone tower materials.

 

[Montecfo]

On a related note, VZ recently notified me of an "opportunity" to either sell my small number of shares with them or buy more to bring my holdings to at least 100. I'd be tempted to sell, for all the reasons people have noted here, but the $60 fee galls me, especially since they say "While we value all of our shareholders, we realize that the incovenience and cost of brokerage commissions may have deterred you from selling[.....] For this reason, we are offering you this program." In other words, making their lives easier will cost me $60. I feel they should pay me for that! Though with money freed up from VZ I could buy something else with better long term prospects.
Has anybody here participated in this VZ buy/sell "program"?

Are they custodian of the shares, like in a DRIP program?

Seems very weird. Should pay you since they want savings.

 

[Montecfo]

No one has mentioned the news that Amazon is interested in getting into the discounted phone service and leasing bandwidth from VZ, T Mobile or T to do this. It would be for Prime members, I think. This is one eason VZ and T stocks are falling as they may lose lots of subscribers.

That appears to not have been the case. Everyone renounced that when it came out.

 

[MarieIG]

Are they custodian of the shares, like in a DRIP program?

Seems very weird. Should pay you since they want savings.

With the low cost brokers, the need for these transfer agents seems less necessary for the consumer. (I transferred most of my holdings in taxable accounts over to a brokerage last year, where reinvestments are no charge.)

 

[Montecfo]

Wise. Of course that may have been part of their objective also!

 

[imbatman]

I bought a little of VZ and T in the last week (took a hit this month on the Amazon rumors and another this week on the lead cable fears).

I don't expect significant share price growth due to the reasons mentioned in this thread, but also don't think there is a big cliff looming at these prices. However at 7.7% dividend, I don't adding as an alternative income source.

 

[MarieIG]

I dumped my Verizon stock earlier this year with no plans to buy it back. I put the funds into PEP, which seems to be doing well. Also ventured into Lincoln Financial group (LNC) that appears to be turning itself around and pays a great dividend.

One of the (many) podcasts to which I listened did a Coke/Pepsi comparison and preferred Pepsi - IIRC - due to more of a diversification of products. I noted that it popped recently.

 

[Qs Laptop]

VZ yield may be rising, but that is largely due to the stock price dropping.

The dividend is only up 2% or so each year.

Earlier this week I needed cash to transfer. VZ and T were the first to go.

Precisely.

A year ago VZ was in the low $50 a share territory. It dropped a lot yesterday and is now $33 a share.

If you owned 1,000 shares a year ago you would now be down $17,000 in basis. You would have earned $2,612 in dividends. Total return would be -$14,388.

 

[target2019]

Precisely.

A year ago VZ was in the low $50 a share territory. It dropped a lot yesterday and is now $33 a share.

If you owned 1,000 shares a year ago you would now be down $17,000 in basis. You would have earned $2,612 in dividends. Total return would be -$14,388.

Yes. Charts show that too. It's down a lot is a good read. Fortunately I sold half last year, and this last sale was just 100 shares.