Benjamin Edwards Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. trimmed its stake in Verizon by 4.0% in Q4, selling 52,089 shares and leaving 1,247,593 shares valued at about $50.8 million.
• Verizon beat Q1 EPS expectations ($1.28 vs. $1.21) while revenue slightly missed, set FY2026 guidance of 4.95–4.99 EPS, and carries a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” with a $50.59 average target (some firms have raised targets, e.g., Citigroup to $55).
• Company insiders have been net sellers, offloading 218,148 shares worth roughly $10.78 million over the last three months, with corporate insiders now owning just 0.03% of the stock.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. reduced its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 4.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,247,593 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 52,089 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $50,814,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. LVZ Inc. raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. LVZ Inc. now owns 25,369 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,033,000 after buying an additional 2,621 shares during the period. Pines Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 20.1% in the 4th quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,437 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $262,000 after buying an additional 1,079 shares during the period. Sandro Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at about $231,000. LMG Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. LMG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 59,695 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $2,431,000 after purchasing an additional 782 shares during the period. Finally, Forza Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Forza Wealth Management LLC now owns 42,621 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,736,000 after purchasing an additional 3,051 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $48.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Dbs Bank cut shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 44,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 surprise and subscriber momentum — Verizon reported an EPS beat and posted first-quarter postpaid phone subscriber gains, which investors view as evidence the turnaround is gaining traction; that momentum is being cited in valuation write-ups and helped lift sentiment. A Look At Verizon (VZ) Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings And Subscriber Turnaround
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target bump — JPMorgan raised its VZ price target from $49 to $52 (while keeping a neutral rating), signaling incremental upside in analyst expectations and providing a short-term technical catalyst. JPMorgan raises VZ price target
• Positive Sentiment: Partner/network recognition — Verizon’s partner Cydcor won Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year award, reinforcing channel strength and sales execution at the retail/agent level. Cydcor Earns Verizon's 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year Award
• Neutral Sentiment: Trending attention / retail interest — Zacks and other outlets note increased user interest in VZ; trending status can boost volume and volatility but is not a guarantee of sustained direction. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Adjacency to growth markets — Verizon is listed among players in industry reports (e.g., video telematics), indicating optionality beyond consumer wireless if execution in enterprise/commercial products scales. North America and Europe Video Telematics Market Research Report 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from T‑Mobile — comparisons and service/perk analyses highlight T‑Mobile’s strengths and its broadband expansion, which could pressure pricing and share in both wireless and home broadband segments. T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Which Big Phone Carrier Works Best for You?
• Negative Sentiment: T‑Mobile’s broadband blitz — T‑Mobile’s capital-efficient push into broadband is described as a direct challenge to incumbents and could create longer-term margin and market-share pressure for Verizon. T-Mobile's Broadband Blitz Puts Cable on Notice (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Debt and income-investor risk — commentary (e.g., The Motley Fool) flags rising leverage after the Frontier acquisition as a potential “time bomb” for income investors, which could limit upside multiple expansion and increase sensitivity to interest rates. The Ticking Time Bomb That Could Force Income Investors to Sell Verizon Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Minor analyst EPS trim — Erste Group slightly cut FY2027 EPS estimates for Verizon, a small reminder that forecasts remain sensitive to revenue mix and legacy/merger-related costs. Erste Group trims VZ FY2027 EPS estimate

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of VZ opened at $48.17 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $48.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a market capitalization of $201.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.25. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications 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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