Arizona State Retirement System Decreases Stake in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Arizona State Retirement System trimmed its Verizon stake by 3.2% (sold 40,001 shares), leaving 1,191,291 shares worth $48.52M, while other large institutions like Vanguard and State Street increased holdings and institutions now own about 62% of the stock.
• Insiders sold 218,148 shares worth $10.78M over the past three months (including notable executive sales), representing insider ownership of just 0.10%.
• Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83, a 6.0% yield), set Q1 earnings for April 27, and reiterated FY‑2026 EPS guidance of 4.900–4.950, with analysts averaging a "Moderate Buy" rating and a $50.56 price target.

Arizona State Retirement System cut its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,191,291 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 40,001 shares during the quarter. Arizona State Retirement System's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $48,521,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 373,904,749 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $16,433,114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,117,733 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after buying an additional 7,276,809 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.2% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 45,265,695 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,989,427,000 after buying an additional 557,576 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 4.5% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 28,188,066 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,238,866,000 after buying an additional 1,203,445 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 22,592,460 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $992,939,000 after buying an additional 646,537 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon expanded its Frontline Network Slice to compatible laptops, tablets and smartphones, strengthening its value proposition for government and first‑responder contracts and differentiating its enterprise/resiliency offerings. Verizon Frontline Network Slice available for laptops, tablets and smartphones nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Verizon’s high dividend yield and defensive income profile keeps income‑oriented buyers interested; analysts and dividend investors view VZ as a steady telecom income play. AT&T vs. Verizon vs. T-Mobile: Why This 4.4% Yield Is the Steadiest Bet in Telecom.
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon set its Q1 2026 earnings date for April 27 (webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET); the upcoming report is the main near‑term catalyst and likely explains some of today’s positioning. Verizon to report first-quarter earnings on April 27, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings commentary and preview pieces are weighing Frontier deal progress, 5G and fiber expansion as positives while noting rising competition could cap near‑term upside—this feeds mixed expectations into the tape. Verizon to Report Q1 Earnings: How to Approach the Stock Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market headlines noting VZ rose while broader indices dipped signal relative defensive demand rather than company‑specific surprise. Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Negative Sentiment: Recent data show insider selling activity and large institutional reductions by some asset managers in recent quarters; heavy insider sales and notable fund exits can weigh on sentiment and put pressure on the stock if they continue. Verizon Communications Inc. Schedules First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Report and Webcast
• Negative Sentiment: Satellite and space‑based cellular developments (AST SpaceMobile) are drawing regulatory approvals and industry attention; these could represent longer‑term competitive or partner‑risk dynamics for terrestrial carriers, and recent launch hiccups add uncertainty to any partnership timelines. FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Commercial Authority to Deliver Direct-to-Device Cellular Broadband from Space

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the business'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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VZ. Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price target on Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $47.23 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $197.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.29. 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 $49.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. Verizon Communications's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, research 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. 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 dividend yield of 6.0%. 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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