HBK Sorce Advisory LLC Sells 59,982 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• HBK Sorce Advisory LLC reduced its Verizon stake by 36.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 59,982 shares and leaving it with 105,481 shares valued at about $4.3 million.
• Several large institutional investors, including Vanguard, State Street, Northern Trust, Legal & General, and Invesco, increased their Verizon holdings, with institutions owning 62.06% of the stock overall.
• Verizon reported better-than-expected earnings of $1.28 per share for the latest quarter, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $50.59.

HBK Sorce Advisory LLC cut its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 36.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 105,481 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 59,982 shares during the quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,296,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after buying an additional 5,497,598 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised 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. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.9% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 22,592,460 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $992,939,000 after buying an additional 646,537 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $48.43 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $202.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $48.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $44.81. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on VZ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective 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, Evercore boosted their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is part of a proposed joint venture with AT&T and T-Mobile to eliminate mobile dead zones, a move that could strengthen coverage in underserved areas and support long-term wireless demand. Verizon (VZ), AT&T, and T-Mobile Form A Joint Venture to End Mobile Dead Zones Across the US
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s annual meeting results showed shareholders backed all nine director nominees and approved key management proposals, suggesting continued investor confidence in the company’s direction and governance. Verizon Announces Preliminary Shareholder Voting Results from 2026 Annual Meeting
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon was named California SBDC’s Corporate Small Business Champion of the Year, reinforcing its brand and relationships with small business customers, a valuable segment for wireless and connectivity services. California SBDC Names Verizon Corporate Small Business Champion of the Year
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighting Verizon’s dividend strength and earnings momentum may be helping sentiment, with investors viewing VZ as a defensive income stock that can keep paying down debt and potentially repurchase shares. Verizon: A Bright Future With Growing Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s new Motorola razr 2026 promotion and FIFA World Cup ticket giveaway are marketing initiatives that could support customer engagement, but they are not likely to move the stock on their own. The iconic flip meets incredible value: The new motorola razr 2026 joins Verizon’s lineup Verizon announces a massive ticket drop for FIFA World Cup 2026™
• Neutral Sentiment: Several third-party articles frame Verizon as an undervalued or top-ranked stock, which may reinforce bullish sentiment, but these are opinion pieces rather than direct business catalysts. Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top-Ranked Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were 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. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Verizon Communications

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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