Alley Investment Management Company LLC Cuts Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Alley Investment Management cut its Verizon stake by 34.8% in Q4, selling 71,181 shares and leaving 133,331 shares valued at about $5.43 million.
• Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83) with an ex-dividend date of April 10 and payment on May 1, yielding about 6.1%.
• Verizon beat Q4 EPS estimates ($1.09 vs. $1.06), set FY2026 guidance of 4.90–4.95 EPS, and analysts’ average price target sits near $50.56 with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

Alley Investment Management Company LLC cut its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 34.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 133,331 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 71,181 shares during the quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $5,431,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. raised its position in Verizon Communications by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. now owns 32,486 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,323,000 after purchasing an additional 633 shares during the period. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. now owns 56,378 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $2,296,000 after buying an additional 1,468 shares during the period. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 40.9% during the fourth quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 13,869 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $565,000 after buying an additional 4,024 shares during the period. Autumn Glory Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Autumn Glory Partners LLC now owns 63,745 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $2,596,000 after buying an additional 1,468 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smith Salley Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management now owns 40,944 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,668,000 after buying an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE VZ opened at $46.47 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $194.25 billion, a PE ratio of 11.47, 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's 50-day moving average is $49.23 and its 200 day moving average is $43.73.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.Verizon Communications's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm'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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon was named Official Telecommunications Services Sponsor for FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, committing to major nationwide 5G, fiber and network investments to support venues and fans — a visible, long-term demand and branding catalyst for its network and enterprise services. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting Verizon’s appeal to UK investors highlights perceived stability and income appeal, reinforcing demand among long-term, yield-focused holders. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/sector items that could indirectly benefit Verizon — renewed investor interest in space/satellite plays tied to a potential SpaceX IPO and ongoing partnerships between carriers and satellite firms (AST SpaceMobile cites Verizon as a partner). These are strategic optionalities rather than immediate drivers. Read More. · Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman publicly warned that rapid AI adoption could produce mass job losses and economic disruption, drawing attention to potential demand, consumer-spending and regulatory risks — comments that can pressure telecom sentiment given the consumer exposure and valuation sensitivity. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/pre-earnings pieces (Zacks/Seeking Alpha/other previews) suggest Verizon may lack the setup for an earnings beat in the upcoming report, keeping near-term expectations muted despite steady guidance — a factor that tends to cap upside for an income-oriented telecom stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Disclosure that a U.S. politician trimmed VZ holdings after a strong rally introduces a small reputational/sentiment headwind; such filings can amplify selling pressure even if economically immaterial. Read More.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Evercore raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Erste Group Bank raised Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.56.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.