Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Acquired by IFP Advisors Inc

IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 30.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 165,184 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 38,406 shares during the quarter. IFP Advisors Inc’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $6,728,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $47.80 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $48.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.69. The stock has a market cap of $199.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.24.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on VZ. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Williams Trading set a $54.00 target price on Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon highlighted stronger consumer traction in its latest earnings commentary, including postpaid phone growth and broadband gains, which supports the view that its core wireless business is stabilizing. Verizon Earnings Call Highlights Turnaround Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon, along with AT&T and T-Mobile, is advancing a satellite connectivity joint venture aimed at eliminating dead zones, a strategic move that could improve network coverage and long-term competitive positioning. Verizon to redeem debt securities on June 20, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon announced it will redeem about $1.3 billion of notes on June 20, signaling active debt management that may be viewed favorably by income-oriented investors. Verizon to redeem debt securities on June 20, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon also announced the winner of its first Frontline App Developer Challenge, underscoring innovation in public safety and emergency response, but the near-term financial impact appears limited. Verizon champions the innovators of tomorrow, names winner of Verizon Frontline App Developer Challenge
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s latest industry cybersecurity report drew attention to a surge in AI-driven social engineering and vulnerability exploitation, highlighting Verizon’s security expertise but not directly changing fundamentals. AI-related data breaches surpass stolen credentials in cyber incidents, Verizon report says

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.