North Dakota State Investment Board Buys Shares of 146,135 Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• North Dakota State Investment Board disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Verizon, buying 146,135 shares valued at about $5.95 million. Several other institutional investors also increased their positions, and institutions now own 62.06% of the company.
• Verizon’s latest earnings beat EPS expectations, reporting $1.28 per share versus the $1.21 forecast, while revenue came in slightly below estimates at $34.44 billion. The company also raised its FY 2026 EPS guidance to 4.950-4.990.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive, with price targets recently raised by firms including Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Barclays. Verizon currently carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target price of $50.59.

North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 146,135 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock, valued at approximately $5,952,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Avanza Fonder AB lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 5.6% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 14.0% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 23.5% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 18.4% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on VZ shares. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted 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 report on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of VZ stock opened at $46.44 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The firm's 50-day moving average is $48.46 and its 200-day moving average is $44.52. The stock has a market cap of $193.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.33, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68.

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

Insider Activity

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FCC approved Verizon’s $1 billion purchase of spectrum assets from U.S. Cellular, a move that should expand Verizon’s network capacity and coverage and strengthen its competitive position. FCC approves Verizon's $1 billion spectrum purchase
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon joined AT&T and T-Mobile in a proposed satellite-based joint venture aimed at closing rural wireless dead zones, which could improve service quality, coverage reliability, and the industry’s long-term growth narrative. Verizon Joins Rivals On Satellite Venture Reshaping Coverage And Investor Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon closed a $4 billion junior subordinated notes offering, which was framed as strengthening its capital structure and supporting refinancing/funding flexibility. Verizon Strengthens Capital Structure with $4 Billion Notes
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish piece highlighted Verizon as one of 2026’s top defensive picks, citing undervaluation, a well-covered dividend, and potential upside over the next year. Why Verizon Is One of Our Top Defensive Picks In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on Verizon’s competitive position versus T-Mobile, customer retention, and a customer-facing website blocking issue; these are more mixed in nature and do not clearly change the near-term investment case. T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Is It Time to Choose a New Carrier?
• Negative Sentiment: A report on new layoffs suggests Verizon is still pushing hard on cost cuts and restructuring, which may help margins but can also signal pressure on operations and demand. Verizon Announces New Layoffs as Cost-Cutting Continues Into 2026
• Negative Sentiment: One article warned that Verizon’s latest phone plan changes could push away customers, reinforcing concerns about churn in a highly competitive wireless market. Verizon’s latest phone plan change may drive away consumers

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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