Horizon Investments LLC Decreases Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Horizon Investments LLC cut its Verizon stake by 39.9%, selling 196,136 shares and leaving 295,631 shares worth roughly $11.84 million per its latest SEC filing.
• Verizon beat Q1 EPS ($1.28 vs. $1.21 est.) and reported postpaid phone subscriber gains, set FY2026 guidance of $4.95–$4.99 EPS, and has seen several analyst price-target upgrades amid mixed views on competition and debt.
• Significant insider and institutional activity: insiders sold 218,148 shares (~$10.78M) this quarter (including Director Hans Erik Vestberg), institutions/hedge funds own ~62.06% of the stock, and insider ownership is only 0.03%.

Horizon Investments LLC trimmed its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 39.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 295,631 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 196,136 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $11,837,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of VZ. One Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 58.8% in the fourth quarter. One Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,447 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $303,000 after buying an additional 2,756 shares during the last quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 19.8% during the fourth quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,276 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $541,000 after acquiring an additional 2,194 shares during the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 16.6% during the fourth quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 182,525 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $7,434,000 after acquiring an additional 25,979 shares during the last quarter. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 35.2% during the fourth quarter. Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. now owns 67,541 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $2,751,000 after acquiring an additional 17,575 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In related news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 value of $9,922,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 over the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $48.17 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $48.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.00. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68. The stock has a market cap of $201.37 billion, a PE ratio of 11.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm's revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current 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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