Clarity Financial LLC Raises Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Clarity Financial LLC boosted its Verizon stake by 697% in Q4 to 471,127 shares worth about $19.19 million, making VZ its 25th-largest holding.
• Insider selling: Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares for roughly $9.92 million, and insiders have sold 218,148 shares (~$10.78M) in the past 90 days, leaving insiders with about 0.10% ownership.
• Dividends and results: Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annual $2.83, ~6.1% yield) and reported EPS of $1.09 (vs. $1.06 expected) while guiding FY2026 EPS to $4.90–$4.95.

Clarity Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 697.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 471,127 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 412,018 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications comprises approximately 1.8% of Clarity Financial LLC's holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Clarity Financial LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $19,189,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $9,470,788,000 after purchasing an additional 7,276,809 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 51.1% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,512,228 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $637,812,000 after buying an additional 4,905,101 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at about $161,346,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 50.4% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,848,766 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $385,983,000 after buying an additional 2,965,033 shares during the period. Finally, Credit Agricole S A acquired a new position in Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $76,631,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business'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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ stock opened at $46.31 on Wednesday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $49.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.75. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The company has a market capitalization of $193.55 billion, a PE ratio of 11.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its 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. 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $36.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. The business's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup lifted their price target 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. Finally, Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Two 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.56.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Partnerships in space-based connectivity reinforce Verizon’s growth optionality beyond core wireless — AST SpaceMobile remains a strategic partner, which supports Verizon’s potential to expand coverage and new services over time. AST SpaceMobile Drops 15% After Blue Origin Satellite Mishap
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and regional investor notes highlight Verizon’s balance-sheet stability and defensive cash flows, which support its dividend and make VZ a defensive play in telecom markets. Verizon Shows Strong Stability
• Neutral Sentiment: Outlook and near-term earnings expectations are mixed — some previews show expected EPS growth but warn Verizon may lack the setup for a clear earnings “beat,” leaving investors cautious ahead of future reports. Verizon Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman’s public warnings about mass job losses from rapid AI adoption have raised investor concerns about macro demand, potential regulatory scrutiny, and reputational risk — comments have drawn headlines that can dampen sentiment and boost short-term volatility. Verizon CEO AI Warning Puts Job Risks And Valuation In Focus Verizon's Dan Schulman Tells CEOs to Be Open About AI Job Cuts

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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