PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab Buys New Shares in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought 2,903,925 new shares of Verizon in Q4, a stake worth approximately $118.19 million (about 0.07% of the company).
• Verizon reported a Q1 EPS beat ($1.28 vs. $1.21) and set FY2026 guidance of 4.95–4.99 EPS, while analysts have nudged price targets higher (JPMorgan to $52, Citi to $55) and MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $50.59 target.
• Company insiders sold 218,148 shares (~$10.78 million) over the last quarter, leaving insiders with just 0.03% ownership, while institutional investors hold about 62.06% of Verizon.

PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,903,925 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock, valued at approximately $118,190,000. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab owned about 0.07% of Verizon Communications at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Richardson Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth about $35,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $48.17 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68. The business has a 50-day moving average of $48.94 and a 200-day moving average of $44.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a market capitalization of $201.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.75, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.29.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. The company'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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 surprise and subscriber momentum — Verizon reported an EPS beat and posted first-quarter postpaid phone subscriber gains, which investors view as evidence the turnaround is gaining traction; that momentum is being cited in valuation write-ups and helped lift sentiment. A Look At Verizon (VZ) Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings And Subscriber Turnaround
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target bump — JPMorgan raised its VZ price target from $49 to $52 (while keeping a neutral rating), signaling incremental upside in analyst expectations and providing a short-term technical catalyst. JPMorgan raises VZ price target
• Positive Sentiment: Partner/network recognition — Verizon’s partner Cydcor won Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year award, reinforcing channel strength and sales execution at the retail/agent level. Cydcor Earns Verizon's 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year Award
• Neutral Sentiment: Trending attention / retail interest — Zacks and other outlets note increased user interest in VZ; trending status can boost volume and volatility but is not a guarantee of sustained direction. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Adjacency to growth markets — Verizon is listed among players in industry reports (e.g., video telematics), indicating optionality beyond consumer wireless if execution in enterprise/commercial products scales. North America and Europe Video Telematics Market Research Report 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from T‑Mobile — comparisons and service/perk analyses highlight T‑Mobile’s strengths and its broadband expansion, which could pressure pricing and share in both wireless and home broadband segments. T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Which Big Phone Carrier Works Best for You?
• Negative Sentiment: T‑Mobile’s broadband blitz — T‑Mobile’s capital-efficient push into broadband is described as a direct challenge to incumbents and could create longer-term margin and market-share pressure for Verizon. T-Mobile's Broadband Blitz Puts Cable on Notice (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Debt and income-investor risk — commentary (e.g., The Motley Fool) flags rising leverage after the Frontier acquisition as a potential “time bomb” for income investors, which could limit upside multiple expansion and increase sensitivity to interest rates. The Ticking Time Bomb That Could Force Income Investors to Sell Verizon Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Minor analyst EPS trim — Erste Group slightly cut FY2027 EPS estimates for Verizon, a small reminder that forecasts remain sensitive to revenue mix and legacy/merger-related costs. Erste Group trims VZ FY2027 EPS estimate

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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