5G and cost cutting bolster this dividend

Article Excerpt

Shares of Verizon are down 28% in the past year, mainly due to concerns that rising inflation and interest rates are making it harder to sign up new subscribers. However, the company’s new 5G systems should help it win new customers. A new cost-cutting plan will also support its dividend. VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. $38 is a buy. The company (New York symbol VZ; Income-Growth Dividend Portfolio, Utilities sector, Shares outstanding: 4.2 billion; Market cap: $159.6 billion; Dividend yield: 6.9%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.verizon.com) is the second-largest provider of wireless communication services in the U.S. after AT&T, with 143.1 million subscribers (consumers and businesses) and 8.9 million broadband users as of September 30, 2022. Verizon has raised its dividend each year for the past 16 years. The latest increase came with the November 2022 payment when your quarterly dividend rose 2.0%, to $0.6525 from $0.64. The new annual rate of $2.61 a share yields a high 6.9%. The company’s revenue rose 4.6%, from $126.03 billion in 2017…