Diversified Trust Co. Has $902,000 Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Diversified Trust Co. cut its Verizon stake by 80.3%, selling 90,484 shares in Q4 and leaving it with 22,137 shares worth about $902,000, even as large holders like Vanguard and State Street increased positions and institutional ownership remains ~62.06%.
• Significant insider selling has occurred recently: insiders have sold 218,148 shares worth $10.78M in the last 90 days, including EVP Joseph J. Russo and director Hans Erik Vestberg, leaving insiders with roughly 0.10% ownership.
• Fundamentals and shareholder return update: Verizon reported Q EPS of $1.09 (beating estimates), set FY‑2026 guidance of $4.90–4.95, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 ($2.83 annual, ~5.6% yield); analysts' consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target around $50.32.

Diversified Trust Co. decreased its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 80.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,137 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 90,484 shares during the quarter. Diversified Trust Co.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $902,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings 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 during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of 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 period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,504,150,000. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Verizon Communications by 1.2% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 45,265,695 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,989,427,000 after buying an additional 557,576 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its position in Verizon Communications by 4.5% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 28,188,066 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,238,866,000 after buying an additional 1,203,445 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm'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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of VZ opened at $50.70 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $43.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The company has a market cap of $213.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.31.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. The company's revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. This is a boost from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is 68.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on VZ. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price target on Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.32.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fractus patent settlement removes a lingering legal overhang, lowering litigation risk and clarifying cash‑flow expectations for Verizon. Fractus and Verizon settle patent litigation
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs and other analysts have raised price targets/issued upgrades, signaling institutional confidence and supporting short‑term upside. Verizon Receives a Vote of Confidence as Goldman Sachs Raises Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have nudged fair‑value estimates modestly higher (example: an update to about $50.76), reflecting improved visibility on costs and subscriber trends. How The Verizon (VZ) Investment Story Is Shifting On Costs Transparency And Fair Value Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Recent retail/investor writeups (MSN/Yahoo) highlight a bullish thesis around valuation (low trailing/forward P/E) and steady dividend profile, attracting buy interest. Is Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage noted a small pullback in recent sessions, reflecting normal volatility as investors digest mixed signals rather than a new fundamental shift. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on investor reaction to the Fractus settlement suggests the deal improves the risk profile but doesn’t materially change Verizon’s growth story. How Investors May Respond To Verizon (VZ) Settling Fractus Patent Dispute And Easing Legal Overhang
• Negative Sentiment: AT&T’s rollout of 5G coverage in NYC subway tunnels (with partners) is a competitive threat in dense urban markets that could pressure share gains and subscriber adds if it yields a clear customer advantage. AT&T 5G Powers New York's Subway Connectivity: Will it Drive Revenues?
• Negative Sentiment: Reports on aggressive pricing and loyalty risks at rival carriers amplify the risk of promotional cycles that could pressure ARPU and churn. AT&T puts loyalty at risk with stern warning to customers

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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