Faster networks will fuel this dividend

Article Excerpt

U.S. telecommunications giant Verizon recently sold its Internet media business as it shifts its focus to building out its ultrafast 5G wireless networks. Despite the high cost of these projects, the additional revenue and profits should let Verizon keep raising your dividend. VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. $54 is a buy. The company (New York symbol VZ; Income-Growth Dividend Portfolio, Utilities sector, Shares outstanding: 4.1 billion; Market cap: $221.4 billion; Dividend yield: 4.7%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.verizon.com) is the second-largest provider of wireless communication (cellphone) services in the U.S. after AT&T. It had 121.4 million subscribers (consumers and businesses) as of September 1, 2021. Verizon will raise your dividend by 2.0% with the November 2021 payment. The new annual rate of $2.56 yields a high 4.7%. The company has now increased its dividend each year for the past 15 years. Thanks to rising demand for wireless and high-speed Internet services, Verizon’s revenue increased 4.7%, from $125.98 billion in 2016 to $131.87 billion in 2019…