Legal & General Group Plc Sells 185,681 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Legal & General Group trimmed its Verizon stake by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 185,681 shares but still holding 28,002,385 shares worth about $1.14 billion at quarter-end.
• Other institutional investors were mixed on Verizon, with several funds increasing their holdings while institutions overall still owned 62.06% of the company’s stock.
• Verizon’s latest earnings beat expectations, posting $1.28 EPS versus the $1.21 consensus, while analysts maintain a Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $50.59.

Legal & General Group Plc decreased its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 28,002,385 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 185,681 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc owned 0.66% of Verizon Communications worth $1,140,537,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 335,856 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $14,761,000 after buying an additional 13,787 shares during the last quarter. Avanza Fonder AB boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Avanza Fonder AB now owns 331,962 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $13,521,000 after buying an additional 17,495 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 14.0% during the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 379,174 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $16,665,000 after buying an additional 46,699 shares during the last quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 23.5% during the fourth quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 78,172 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $3,184,000 after buying an additional 14,862 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 18.4% during the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 140,981 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $6,196,000 after buying an additional 21,915 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is part of a proposed joint venture with AT&T and T-Mobile to eliminate mobile dead zones, a move that could strengthen coverage in underserved areas and support long-term wireless demand. Verizon (VZ), AT&T, and T-Mobile Form A Joint Venture to End Mobile Dead Zones Across the US
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s annual meeting results showed shareholders backed all nine director nominees and approved key management proposals, suggesting continued investor confidence in the company’s direction and governance. Verizon Announces Preliminary Shareholder Voting Results from 2026 Annual Meeting
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon was named California SBDC’s Corporate Small Business Champion of the Year, reinforcing its brand and relationships with small business customers, a valuable segment for wireless and connectivity services. California SBDC Names Verizon Corporate Small Business Champion of the Year
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighting Verizon’s dividend strength and earnings momentum may be helping sentiment, with investors viewing VZ as a defensive income stock that can keep paying down debt and potentially repurchase shares. Verizon: A Bright Future With Growing Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s new Motorola razr 2026 promotion and FIFA World Cup ticket giveaway are marketing initiatives that could support customer engagement, but they are not likely to move the stock on their own. The iconic flip meets incredible value: The new motorola razr 2026 joins Verizon’s lineup Verizon announces a massive ticket drop for FIFA World Cup 2026™
• Neutral Sentiment: Several third-party articles frame Verizon as an undervalued or top-ranked stock, which may reinforce bullish sentiment, but these are opinion pieces rather than direct business catalysts. Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top-Ranked Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?

Insider Buying and Selling

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 value of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. KeyCorp restated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Williams Trading set a $54.00 target price on Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE VZ opened at $48.43 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $202.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock's 50-day moving average is $48.16 and its 200-day moving average is $44.81. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68.

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, 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 company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications's revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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