Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. Increases Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Mirae Asset Global Investments boosted its stake in Verizon by 4.2% in Q4 to 4,466,332 shares, valued at about $181.9 million (roughly 0.11% of the company).
• Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83) for a ~6.0% yield and posted a slight Q earnings beat while setting FY2026 guidance of $4.90–$4.95 EPS.
• Insiders have sold 218,148 shares worth $10.78 million over the past 90 days (insiders now own ~0.10%), while institutional investors hold about 62% of the stock.

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 4.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,466,332 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 179,894 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. owned 0.11% of Verizon Communications worth $181,914,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Verizon Communications by 0.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 373,904,749 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $16,433,114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,117,733 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $9,470,788,000 after purchasing an additional 7,276,809 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 45,265,695 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,989,427,000 after purchasing an additional 557,576 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 28,188,066 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,238,866,000 after buying an additional 1,203,445 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 2.9% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 22,592,460 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $992,939,000 after buying an additional 646,537 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha argues VZ is a "Strong Buy" based on resilient free cash flow, stable valuation and an attractive dividend that supports the income thesis for investors. Verizon: A Strong Buy Due To Its Resilient Cash Flow And Stable Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Another Seeking Alpha piece highlights a "reversal to growth" narrative, management's disciplined capex and M&A, a $25B share repurchase authorization through 2028, and a rich dividend yield — all factors that support upside and likely help buyer interest. Verizon: Reversal To Growth, Temper Expectations Entering Q1, Still A Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon was named Official Telecommunications Services Sponsor for FIFA World Cup 2026; the deal showcases Verizon's 5G, fixed wireless and broadcast solutions on a global stage — a marketing and commercial opportunity that could accelerate enterprise/consumer product trials and create new revenue streams. VZ to Boost Fan Experience at FIFA World Cup: Will it Drive Prospects?
• Positive Sentiment: Official press releases describe how Verizon's 5G, fixed wireless access and broadcast solutions will power immersive fan experiences at FIFA, reinforcing the commercial narrative and visibility from a high-profile global event. Verizon to Power Unforgettable Fan Experiences at the FIFA World Cup 2026™
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an "equal weight" rating and a $49 price target (modest upside from current levels) — a signal of cautious optimism but not a buy recommendation, so impact is likely muted.
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC Capital reiterated its hold rating on Verizon, keeping analyst sentiment broadly neutral and indicating no immediate change to sell-side conviction despite the operational news. RBC Capital Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Verizon (VZ)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a sector comparison piece on Verizon vs. Charter, underlining competitive dynamics in telecom that investors should weigh when valuing growth and capital allocation. Verizon or Charter: Which Telecom Stock Should You Bet on?
• Neutral Sentiment: An Alarm.com product update notes Verizon LTE support for legacy security upgrades — a small ecosystem-level positive but unlikely to materially move Verizon's stock on its own. Alarm.com Modernizes Legacy Security Systems with Enhanced Universal Communicator

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 3.9%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $46.80 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The stock has a market cap of $195.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.29. The business's 50 day moving average is $49.24 and its 200 day moving average is $43.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

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

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on VZ. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Evercore lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.56.

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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