This high yield looks sustainable

Article Excerpt

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. $32 is a buy. The company (New York symbol VZ; Income-Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector, Shares outstanding: 4.2 billion; Market cap: $134.4 billion; Dividend yield: 8.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.verizon.com) is the second-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. after AT&T, with 143.2 million subscribers (consumers and businesses) as of June 30, 2023. With the November 2023 payment, Verizon will raise your quarterly dividend by 1.9%, to $0.665 a share from $0.6525. The new annual rate of $2.66 a share yields a very high 8.3%. With this increase, the company has now raised its dividend each year for the past 17 years. Despite that high yield, the new rate looks sustainable. Verizon’s annual dividend payments will total roughly $11 billion, which is equal to 65% of its 2023 projected free cash flow (regular cash flow less maintenance capital expenditures) of $17 billion. Verizon is a buy. buy…