Jennison Associates LLC Buys 282,522 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in Verizon by 26.9%, buying 282,522 shares to own 1,331,412 shares worth about $54.23 million.
• Verizon reported a Q1 EPS beat ($1.28 vs. $1.21), added ~55K wireless subscribers, raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to 4.95–4.99, and carries a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a ~$50.59 target.
• Corporate insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares (~$10.78M) last quarter (including Director Hans Erik Vestberg's 200,000‑share sale), while analysts warn that increased debt from the Frontier deal is a key downside risk for income investors.

Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 26.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,331,412 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 282,522 shares during the quarter. Jennison Associates LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $54,228,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after acquiring an additional 7,276,809 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $15,453,058,000 after acquiring an additional 5,497,598 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 51.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,512,228 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $637,812,000 after acquiring an additional 4,905,101 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $161,346,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 50.4% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,848,766 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $385,983,000 after purchasing an additional 2,965,033 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on VZ shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $50.59.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. 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 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 3.0%

VZ stock opened at $48.01 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $48.94 and a 200 day moving average of $44.00. The firm has a market cap of $200.69 billion, a PE ratio of 11.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

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

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results showed an EPS beat and management described a turnaround with stronger profitability and postpaid phone subscriber gains — the core catalyst for the rally. Verizon CEO Claims Turnaround Is Officially Underway
• Positive Sentiment: Promotional push delivered ~55K new wireless subscribers and Verizon raised FY‑26 profit guidance, directly improving near‑term revenue and margin outlook. Verizon's promos lead to 55K new wireless subscribers; raises FY26 profit guidance
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on VZ to $52 (maintaining a Neutral rating), signaling modest upside from current levels and lending analyst support to the move higher. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer perks — bundled/discounted streaming offers — are likely helping acquisition and retention trends, supporting ARPU and churn improvements. Verizon's Streaming Deals Let You Watch Netflix, Disney Plus and More, for Less
• Neutral Sentiment: Cydcor, a Verizon channel partner, won Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year award — a positive PR/partner win but limited direct impact on VZ fundamentals. Cydcor Earns Verizon's 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year Award
• Neutral Sentiment: Small analyst tweak: Erste Group trimmed FY‑2027 EPS slightly (from $5.28 to $5.26) but keeps a Strong‑Buy — little near‑term impact given the tiny change. MarketBeat / Erste Group note
• Neutral Sentiment: Several valuation and analyst-opinion pieces revisit VZ after the Q1 surprise; useful for longer‑term positioning but not immediate catalysts. A Look At Verizon (VZ) Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings And Subscriber Turnaround
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators warn that rising total debt after the Frontier acquisition could pressure income investors and increase financial risk — this is the main structural downside investors cite. The Ticking Time Bomb That Could Force Income Investors to Sell Verizon Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Competitor OXIO hired a former Verizon executive as CCO — a small talent/competitive signal that could matter in niche TaaS segments but is unlikely to shift overall VZ fundamentals. OXIO Appoints Former Verizon Executive Jeremy Bolton as Chief Commercial Officer

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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