Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Has $4.11 Million Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Citizens Financial Group cut its Verizon stake by 63.6% in Q4 to 100,955 shares worth about $4.11 million, while institutional investors collectively own roughly 62.06% of the stock.
• Verizon delivered a Q1 EPS beat of $1.28 versus $1.21 consensus and posted postpaid phone subscriber gains, and it set FY2026 guidance of $4.95–$4.99 EPS, signaling improving operational momentum.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans positive (average rating "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $50.59 and several firms at ~$56), though elevated insider selling (218,148 shares, ~$10.8M in the last 90 days) and debt concerns from the Frontier deal are cited as risks.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI decreased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 63.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 100,955 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 176,206 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,112,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 43,046 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,753,000 after purchasing an additional 1,541 shares during the period. Verity Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 19,279 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $785,000 after purchasing an additional 363 shares during the period. WoodTrust Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. WoodTrust Financial Corp now owns 7,438 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $303,000 after purchasing an additional 933 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,331,412 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $54,228,000 after purchasing an additional 282,522 shares during the period. Finally, Prentice Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 10.5% in the 4th quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,539 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $633,000 after purchasing an additional 1,473 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and increased their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. 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, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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 Up 0.3%

Shares of VZ stock opened at $48.17 on Friday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $48.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.64. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The company has a market capitalization of $201.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.75, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

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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