Advisors Capital Management LLC Purchases 465,131 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Advisors Capital Management boosted its Verizon stake by 55.1% in Q4, buying an additional 465,131 shares to hold 1,309,264 shares worth about $53.33 million.
• Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 per share (annualized $2.83), implying a ~6.1% yield; the ex-dividend date is April 10 and the payment date is May 1.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently, disposing of 218,148 shares worth roughly $10.78 million over the past 90 days, while insider ownership stands at about 0.10%.

Advisors Capital Management LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 55.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,309,264 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 465,131 shares during the period. Advisors Capital Management LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $53,326,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in VZ. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its position in Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 335,856 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $14,761,000 after purchasing an additional 13,787 shares in the last quarter. Avanza Fonder AB grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Avanza Fonder AB now owns 331,962 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $13,521,000 after buying an additional 17,495 shares in the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 14.0% during the 3rd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 379,174 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $16,665,000 after buying an additional 46,699 shares in the last quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 23.5% during the fourth quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 78,172 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $3,184,000 after buying an additional 14,862 shares during the period. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 18.4% during the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 140,981 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $6,196,000 after buying an additional 21,915 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon expanded its Frontline Network Slice to laptops, tablets and smartphones, improving dedicated, prioritized 5G connectivity for first responders — a move that can win higher-margin public‑safety contracts and differentiate Verizon’s enterprise offerings. Verizon Frontline Network Slice available for laptops, tablets and smartphones nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is deploying advanced 5G and fiber for FIFA World Cup 2026 venues and surrounding communities and has expanded its 5G network slicing for FirstNet and frontline use—moves that raise service pricing power at large events and for critical customers. How Verizon’s Expanded 5G Network Slicing and World Cup Buildout Could Impact Verizon Communications (VZ) Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Legal win: a federal judge granted Verizon a preliminary injunction blocking certain T‑Mobile ad claims about >$1,000 savings for switchers — reduces competitive marketing pressure and could protect Verizon’s subscriber stability and churn. Verizon (VZ) Wins an Injunction Prohibiting T-Mobile’s Ad Campaign Promising Significant Savings
• Neutral Sentiment: Market move: recent sessions showed a modest uptick in VZ shares as broader markets dipped — short-term price action rather than new fundamentals. Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Income narrative remains a driver for investors: articles highlight Verizon’s steady ~4%+ yield and option/dividend strategies for cash generation — supports interest from income-focused holders but doesn’t move fundamentals. AT&T vs. Verizon vs. T-Mobile: Why This 4.4% Yield Is the Steadiest Bet in Telecom.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term risk: investors are cautious ahead of Verizon’s Q1 earnings (reporting next week); analysts cite the Frontier deal integration, fiber capex needs, and intense wireless competition as headwinds that could limit upside. Verizon to Report Q1 Earnings: How to Approach the Stock Now?

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were 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 directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $46.46 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $49.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $194.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.88%.

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.

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