Huntington National Bank Reduces Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Huntington National Bank trimmed its Verizon stake by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 50,986 shares and leaving it with 747,240 shares worth about $30.4 million.
• Verizon remains heavily owned by institutions, with 62.06% of shares held by hedge funds and other institutional investors, even as some insiders also sold stock. SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares in March, reducing her direct ownership by 16.37%.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive to mixed: Verizon has a Moderate Buy consensus rating with an average price target of $50.59, while its latest quarter beat EPS estimates at $1.28 per share despite revenue coming in slightly below forecasts.

Huntington National Bank cut its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 747,240 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 50,986 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $30,435,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is part of a proposed satellite direct-to-device venture with AT&T and T-Mobile, a move that could help expand coverage, reduce dead zones, and improve emergency communications capabilities. T-Mobile Joins Rivals On Satellite Venture With Shares Below Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Investor attention remains elevated after Verizon’s last earnings report, where the company beat EPS estimates, supporting confidence in its cash generation and wireless business. Why Is Verizon (VZ) Up 2.7% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon continues to show up on trader screens and stock-watch lists, suggesting the market is still focused on its upcoming catalysts rather than any single major new development. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary around 5G, AI connectivity, and telecom infrastructure may be giving Verizon some broader support, but these themes are more long-term than immediate stock-moving news. AI Can’t Reach the Real World Without These 3 Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discussing a broader fleet-telematics market expansion are not specific to Verizon, so any stock impact is likely indirect at best. Fleet Telematics Market Forecast

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a "market perform" rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.4%

VZ stock opened at $48.30 on Thursday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $48.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $201.70 billion, a PE ratio of 11.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released 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 business 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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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