62,082 Shares in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Acquired by Christine Messmer PC

Key Points

• Christine Messmer PC purchased 62,082 shares of Verizon in Q4 (about $2.53M), representing ~1.6% of its portfolio and the firm's 14th-largest holding.
• Analysts have trended positive—MarketBeat shows a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target of $50.59—and Verizon beat Q1 EPS ($1.28 vs. $1.21) while issuing FY2026 guidance of $4.95–$4.99.
• Insider selling has been notable (roughly $12M over the past year), including Director Hans Erik Vestberg's 200,000-share sale, leaving insiders with just 0.03% ownership and potentially weighing on sentiment.

Christine Messmer PC purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 62,082 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock, valued at approximately $2,529,000. Verizon Communications comprises approximately 1.6% of Christine Messmer PC's portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,759,000 after buying an additional 16,704 shares in the last quarter. United Bank lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.5% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $339,000 after buying an additional 806 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 312.0% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,023,000 after buying an additional 17,901 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,779,000 after buying an additional 6,034 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $389,000 after buying an additional 443 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VZ has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings raised Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Erste Group Bank raised Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the 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 owned 43,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value 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. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ stock opened at $47.55 on Tuesday. The business's fifty day moving average is $48.94 and its 200-day moving average is $44.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a market cap of $198.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.25. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and operational improvement: Verizon beat EPS expectations, reported improved postpaid phone net additions, and cited lower acquisition/retention costs — management framed results as evidence of durable, recurring revenue progress. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon’s Q1 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support / price target lift: At least one outlet flagged a higher price target ($52), indicating some analysts see upside from current levels. Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ Price Target Raised to $52.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Value-stock narrative: Several analysts and research services highlight VZ as a long‑term value pick given low multiples (single‑digit forward P/E) and dividend yield, which supports income-focused investor interest but may limit rapid re-rating. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Cheap multiple, complicated outlook: Commentary notes VZ trades at low earnings multiples but faces structural questions, tempering enthusiasm for a durable multiple expansion. Verizon Stock: Cheap Multiple, Complicated Story
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Company insiders sold roughly US$12M of VZ stock over the past year, which investors can interpret as hedging or reduced insider conviction and that can pressure sentiment. Verizon Communications Insiders Sold US$12m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure and sector dynamics: Analysts are increasingly bullish on competitors (notably T‑Mobile), and sector narratives about “telecom wars” and upside in peers may divert investor dollars away from VZ. Q1 2026 Telecom Wars: Analyst Eye 30% Gains in T-Mobile Post-Earnings (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and past outage: While EPS beat, revenue came in below estimates and management acknowledged a January network outage — mixed fundamentals plus execution risks can prompt profit‑taking. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon’s Q1 Earnings Call

About Verizon Communications

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.

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