Korea Investment CORP Sells 144,746 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Korea Investment CORP trimmed its Verizon stake by 4.6%, selling 144,746 shares and now holds 2,985,834 shares worth about $131.23 million (roughly 0.07% of the company).
• Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83) for a ~5.5% yield, with an ex‑dividend date of April 10 and payment on May 1; the payout ratio is about 68.15%.
• Insider selling continued: Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares for roughly $9.92 million, and insiders have offloaded 218,148 shares (~$10.78 million) in the past 90 days.

Korea Investment CORP decreased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,985,834 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 144,746 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP owned 0.07% of Verizon Communications worth $131,227,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich bought a new stake in Verizon Communications in the third quarter worth approximately $8,852,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 230.2% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 14,384 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $632,000 after buying an additional 10,028 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 656,725 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $28,863,000 after buying an additional 31,437 shares in the last quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 48.8% during the 3rd quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC now owns 841 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 14,089,041 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $619,213,000 after buying an additional 1,088,600 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $51.17 on Friday. 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $44.40 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $215.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.31. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.41.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current fiscal 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 represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. This is a boost from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 68.15%.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon showcased a 5G + edge computing proof‑of‑concept for vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) with Aptiv and Wind River at MWC — a practical demo that highlights potential enterprise/edge revenue and differentiates Verizon’s network capabilities. Verizon Weighs V2X Growth Opportunities Against Sponsorship Cost Controls
• Positive Sentiment: Management is reviewing large sponsorship deals (including the NFL partnership) as part of cost controls — cutting hundreds of millions in marketing/sponsorship spend could improve margins and free cash flow if executed. Verizon (VZ) Reviewing NFL Partnership and Other Sponsorship Deals to Cut Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst pieces point to durable operational momentum — subscriber gains, broadband growth and AI/telematics initiatives alongside recent quarterly beats and FY26 guidance underpin the stock’s strong YTD performance and support dividend coverage. Verizon Shares Rise 19.4% in a Year: Should You Invest Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is asking whether Verizon is fairly valued after a strong year‑to‑date run — this could prompt profit‑taking or re‑ratings but is not a company action. Is It Time To Reassess Verizon (VZ) After Its Strong Year To Date Share Price Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon will present at the Deutsche Bank Media, Internet & Telecom conference on March 10 — an opportunity for management to update investors but not itself a catalyst. Verizon to speak at Deutsche Bank Media, Internet & Telecom Conference on March 10
• Negative Sentiment: A recent major network outage left hundreds of thousands of customers without service — this raises short‑term churn, reputational risk and could attract regulatory scrutiny if issues persist. AT&T vs. Verizon in 2026: Which Telecom Dividend Stock Is Actually Worth Owning?

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 available at this link. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. 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 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on VZ shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. William Blair upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of 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 objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $49.02.

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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