Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by Levin Capital Strategies L.P.

Levin Capital Strategies L.P. decreased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 6.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 264,857 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 19,302 shares during the quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $10,788,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Monetary Management Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.8% in the second quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. now owns 30,400 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,315,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 7,318 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $322,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the third quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 5,035 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $221,000 after buying an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC increased its position in Verizon Communications by 26.2% in the third quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, Western Financial Corp CA increased its position in Verizon Communications by 1.4% in the third quarter. Western Financial Corp CA now owns 18,522 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $814,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on VZ shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.41.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Verizon Communications stock opened at $46.57 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $194.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.36, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68. The business has a 50-day moving average of $48.96 and a 200-day moving average of $43.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.79 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results and subscriber reversal — Verizon reported adjusted EPS of $1.28 (above estimates) and added ~55,000 wireless subscribers, the first positive phone additions in many years; management raised profit guidance, which underpins stronger near-term cash flow and dividend/support for the stock. Verizon Adds 55,000 Subscribers
• Positive Sentiment: Market re-rating after Q1 — Analysts and outlets are highlighting a subscriber turnaround plus higher adjusted earnings guidance, bringing renewed investor attention and a recent run-up in the shares as expectations for durable margins and cash generation improve. A Look At Verizon Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst moves supporting relative value — Morgan Stanley raised its price target (to $50) and other firms adjusted coverage/comments after the quarter, which can bolster sentiment even if ratings remained neutral/equal-weight. Analyst Price Target Moves
• Neutral Sentiment: Small EPS estimate tweak from Erste Group — Erste trimmed its FY2027 EPS forecast slightly (from $5.28 to $5.26) but retained a Strong-Buy rating, signaling confidence in the multi-year thesis despite the modest revision.
• Negative Sentiment: Toughening competitive landscape — T‑Mobile’s strong quarter and aggressive broadband/fiber JV strategy create a material competitive threat for wireless and broadband share gains, which could pressure Verizon’s subscriber growth and pricing over time. T-Mobile’s Broadband Blitz Puts Cable on Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slight miss — While EPS beat, Q1 revenue came in a bit below consensus, a reminder that top-line momentum is not uniform and could limit upside if growth stalls. Verizon CEO Claims Turnaround Is Officially Underway

Verizon Communications Profile

Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The company’s consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.