Jefferson Bridge Capital LLC Acquires New Shares in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Jefferson Bridge Capital LLC initiated a new stake in Verizon by buying 21,700 shares in Q4, valued at about $884,000.
• Insider selling totaled 218,148 shares (~$10.78M) in the last three months, highlighted by Director Hans Erik Vestberg’s sale of 200,000 shares for roughly $9.92M.
• Dividend and results: Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83, ~5.8% yield; ex-dividend Apr 10, payable May 1), and it beat Q4 EPS estimates ($1.09 vs. $1.06) while setting FY2026 guidance of $4.90–$4.95 per share.

Jefferson Bridge Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 21,700 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock, valued at approximately $884,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. TruNorth Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the 3rd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% during the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 599 shares during the period. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 1.2%

NYSE:VZ opened at $48.57 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $204.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $48.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $43.54.

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

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on VZ shares. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price target on Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Erste Group Bank raised Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Two investment analysts have 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 data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.56.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend, buyback and restructuring tailwinds support shareholder value: analysts and commentators highlight Verizon’s large dividend yield, a $25B buyback program, CEO-led $9B cost reductions and the Frontier acquisition that boosts fiber reach — factors that underpin the stock’s defensive appeal to income investors. The War Won't Last Forever: 3 Stocks That Could Lead the Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: Value/income narrative: market coverage groups list VZ among “discount” or baby‑boomer favorite stocks because of its >5% yield, low forward P/E and recent operational wins (postpaid adds, modest revenue growth), supporting the case for long‑term income buyers. 5 Baby Boomer Stock Favorites Now Trading at a Discount
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term growth opportunities in automotive connectivity: research notes Verizon’s 5G, V2X and automaker partnerships as a potential growth avenue, but benefits are gradual and not an immediate stock catalyst. Can Verizon's Strong Automotive Connectivity Solutions Drive Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming Q1 earnings and guidance cadence are watch points: analysts expect single‑digit earnings growth and management commentary on 5G/fiber monetization and free cash flow will drive near‑term sentiment. What to Expect From Verizon Communications' Q1 2026 Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Apollo/Yahoo refinancing note is mostly peripheral to Verizon (Yahoo was sold in 2021), so it has limited direct impact on VZ fundamentals. Apollo-backed Yahoo kicks off talks on US$1.6 billion refinancing
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder proposals and governance scrutiny could create proxy friction and distract management: proposals on board structure, climate oversight and ESG‑linked pay drew opposition from Verizon but raise investor governance risk ahead of the annual meeting. Verizon Shareholder Push Raises Questions On Governance Climate Oversight And Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term sector/macro pressure and reported price weakness: coverage noting VZ’s decline despite broader market gains and sector weakness (geopolitical risk, rising oil and rotation away from premium wireless) are pressuring the stock in the short term. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

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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