NewEdge Advisors LLC Purchases 96,688 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• NewEdge Advisors increased its Verizon stake by 12.2%, buying 96,688 additional shares to reach 889,596 shares valued at approximately $37.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 62.06% of Verizon.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: eight analysts rate Verizon a Buy and twelve rate it a Hold, producing an overall “Hold” consensus and an average price target of $50.97.
• Verizon reported quarterly EPS of $1.30, exceeding estimates of $1.27, while revenue declined 0.7% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, representing a 5.7% annualized yield.

NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 12.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 889,596 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 96,688 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $37,666,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Robinswood Financial LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Gill Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 74.6% in the 2nd quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 620 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its position in Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the subject of several research reports. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $50.97.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $49.70 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $46.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a market capitalization of $206.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.Verizon Communications's quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is currently 73.70%.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total transaction of $54,978.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 106,566 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,326,168.68. This trade represents a 1.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,400 shares of company stock worth $219,142. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon agreed to secure more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber from Corning through 2032. The supply should support expansion toward 40 million–50 million broadband passings, strengthen fiber-and-wireless bundles, and provide capacity for AI-related data-center connections. Verizon signs optical fiber deal with Corning to expand broadband, support AI growth
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman said Verizon has seen “zero discernible impact” on broadband growth from low-Earth-orbit providers such as Starlink, easing concerns that satellite broadband will quickly erode Verizon’s fixed-line opportunity. Verizon Waves Off Starlink, Bets On Cities And Old Phone Buildings
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, unchanged from the prior quarter. The payout reinforces its income appeal but provides no new dividend-growth catalyst. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on September 9, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The relatively small transaction reduces its signaling value, though insider selling can add modest investor caution.
• Negative Sentiment: The broader shift away from defensive plays is weighing on Verizon as investors favor higher-growth sectors. The stock’s proximity to its 52-week high may also encourage profit-taking, while the fiber agreement requires significant investment and is not expected to begin delivering volume until 2027. Shift Away from Defensive Plays Hits Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Profile

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related technology services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, 5G connectivity, fixed wireless access, fiber-optic internet through Verizon Fios, home services, and connected-device solutions.

Through Verizon Business, the company serves enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations with communications networks, managed connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud and edge-computing services, unified communications, and Internet of Things solutions.

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