We recently published a list of 12 Highest Dividend Stocks to Buy on Cash App. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) stands against other highest dividend stocks to buy on cash app.
Technology has seamlessly woven itself into our daily lives in today’s digital era, significantly impacting how we manage finances. The shift from physical wallets to digital platforms is becoming increasingly common. Cash App has become a prominent player in the digital financial space, steadily growing in popularity. This mobile payment service allows users to send, receive, and request money from individuals and businesses alike. Since its launch in 2013, Cash App has become one of the most widely used digital wallets in the US, competing with other platforms like Venmo and Zelle. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reported that Cash App now boasts over 56 million accounts, with Block, its developer, earning over 50% of its gross profit from the app in 2023.
Also read: 15 Stocks to Invest in with Steady Dividends
The pandemic served as a catalyst, speeding up the rising trend of app usage, especially in the financial sector. With lockdowns and social distancing measures in place, people increasingly relied on online platforms for shopping, highlighting the importance of contactless payments. This change in consumer habits drove a surge in app usage, enabling a smooth transition to remote and contactless transactions. Zelle, the peer-to-peer money transfer app, reported a 27% increase in network transactions during the first half of 2024, with nearly $500 billion in payments processed. In the first six months of the year, consumers and businesses completed 1.7 billion transactions across 143 million accounts, as reported by Bloomberg.
This mainly highlights the promising future of online payments and their continued growth across upcoming generations. In fact, Block CFO Amrita Ahuja shared with CNBC’s Jim Cramer that Cash App’s payment services are particularly popular among younger consumers. Ahuja pointed out that the Cash App card, a free Visa debit card, has gained significant traction with this demographic. She also highlighted that Cash App successfully engages the younger generation through initiatives like a family program, which enables adults to sponsor accounts for teenagers.
That said, with success comes increased risk. Recently, Cash App has faced challenges, as the CFPB accused the platform of enabling widespread fraud and misleading its users. In 2023, Hindenburg Research, a well-known short seller, claimed that Block had inflated the number of Cash App users and highlighted illegal activities on the app. Block dismissed the report as “factually inaccurate and misleading.” In its enforcement action, the CFPB stated that Block is legally obligated to investigate and resolve disputes regarding unauthorized transactions, but described the company’s efforts as “severely lacking.” Instead, Block reportedly directed users to request their banks to reverse transactions, which Block would subsequently deny. As a result, Block will pay up to $120 million in refunds to consumers, establish a 24-hour customer service program, and pay a $55 million fine.
Across different investment platforms, investors consistently prioritize generating cash flow. This focus on cash generation drives them towards dividend stocks, which are well-known for offering shareholders a steady stream of income. Given this, we will take a look at some of the best Cash App stocks that pay dividends.
Our Methodology:
For this article, we reviewed multiple reliable websites and videos that discuss dividend stocks available on Cash App. Our goal was to identify stocks that were consistently recommended by credible sources and analyst reports. After analyzing the gathered information, we selected 12 stocks that stood out due to their dividend yields exceeding 4% as of January 21. These stocks are ranked in order of their dividend yields, starting from the lowest. We also considered hedge fund sentiment around each stock using Insider Monkey’s data for Q3 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
A smiling customer receiving customer contact center solutions on their smartphone.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)
Dividend Yield as of January 21: 6.94%
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is an American multinational telecommunications company. It focuses on 5G network products that support edge computing and AI infrastructure. These products facilitate the processing and transmission of large datasets for various AI applications, including autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, and manufacturing automation.
Recently, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) teamed up with NVIDIA to create an AI-powered enterprise solution. This solution allows multiple AI applications to run smoothly over its secure 5G private networks with private Mobile Edge Computing. The company is also exploring new AI-driven projects, such as network slicing and satellite connectivity, aiming to generate new revenue streams and strengthen its competitive edge.
In the first nine months of 2024, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) experienced a 0.9% rise in consumer revenue compared to the previous year. However, business revenue dropped by 2.1%, resulting in a slight overall revenue growth of 0.3%. The growth in the consumer segment was largely driven by focused incentives, marketing strategies, and the successful execution of strategic initiatives, including recent acquisitions.
Third Point Management made the following comment about VZ in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
“While some economic activity has been showing signs of slowing, the defensive composition of the current high yield market with a high mix of higher quality credit and short duration has let the rates tailwind overwhelm such concerns. The lowest quality sectors of the market have performed best, fueled by both soft/no landing expectations, as well as two positive events in the beleaguered telecom space. Telecom/cable have been poor performers year to date due to overhang from the growth of FWA (aka “wireless cable”) and increased fiber building, however the sector re-rated materially on two deals. Second, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) announced a deal to acquire Frontier Communications (FYBR), a transaction which the fund benefited from by virtue of its investment in FYBR debt. This transaction, aimed at increasing’s VZ fiber footprint, has led to broad revaluation of fiber retail networks that we think is appropriate. While we continue to expect to see FWA rapidly erode non-upgraded cable and especially copper’s share of the low-end broadband market, the VZ deal underscores the value of the higher end footprint.”
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has maintained a strong track record of paying dividends, supported by its robust cash flow. For the first nine months of the year, the company generated $26.5 billion in operating cash flow and $14.5 billion in free cash flow. In addition, the company has been consistently increasing its dividends for 18 years in a row, rewarding its shareholders. It currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.6775 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.94%, as of January 21.
According to Insider Monkey’s database of Q3 2024, 57 hedge funds owned investments in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), worth over $3.2 billion in total. Rajiv Jain’s GQG Partners was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q3.
Overall, VZ ranks 1st on our list of highest dividend stocks to buy on cash app. While we acknowledge the potential for VZ as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than VZ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.