VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. $44 - New York symbol VZ

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. $44 (New York symbol VZ, Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 2.8 billion; Market cap: $123.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 4.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.verizon.com) continues to upgrade its high-speed wireless networks to Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, which is up to five times faster than today’s systems. These upgrades will help Verizon profit from rising use of smartphones and new wireless services, such as video calling.

The company recently added 46 cities to its LTE network and expanded coverage in 22 of the cities it already covers. This makes it the largest provider of LTE service in the U.S., serving 304 cities representing two-thirds of the population.

Verizon is a buy.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.