Employees Retirement System of Texas Sells 217,927 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Employees Retirement System of Texas lowered its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 62.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 133,689 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 217,927 shares during the quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $5,445,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VZ. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th 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 bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on VZ. Evercore lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.59.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is part of a proposed satellite direct-to-device venture with AT&T and T-Mobile, a move that could help expand coverage, reduce dead zones, and improve emergency communications capabilities. T-Mobile Joins Rivals On Satellite Venture With Shares Below Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Investor attention remains elevated after Verizon’s last earnings report, where the company beat EPS estimates, supporting confidence in its cash generation and wireless business. Why Is Verizon (VZ) Up 2.7% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon continues to show up on trader screens and stock-watch lists, suggesting the market is still focused on its upcoming catalysts rather than any single major new development. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary around 5G, AI connectivity, and telecom infrastructure may be giving Verizon some broader support, but these themes are more long-term than immediate stock-moving news. AI Can’t Reach the Real World Without These 3 Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discussing a broader fleet-telematics market expansion are not specific to Verizon, so any stock impact is likely indirect at best. Fleet Telematics Market Forecast

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $48.30 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $201.70 billion, a PE ratio of 11.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $48.01 and a 200-day moving average of $44.99.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Company 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.