Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Sells 403,792 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Robeco Institutional Asset Management sold 403,792 Verizon shares in Q4, trimming its stake by 6.5% to 5,848,599 shares worth about $238.2 million (≈0.14% of the company).
• Verizon slightly beat Q4 expectations with EPS of $1.09 (vs. $1.06 est.) and revenue of $36.38 billion, and set FY 2026 guidance at 4.90–4.95 EPS.
• Verizon increased its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83), implying a roughly 6.1% yield.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. cut its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 6.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,848,599 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 403,792 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned approximately 0.14% of Verizon Communications worth $238,213,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 739.5% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 52.4% during the second quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 782 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 3.6%

VZ opened at $46.06 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The stock has a market cap of $192.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.37, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The company's 50-day moving average price is $49.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $43.62.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released 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. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is presently 68.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on VZ shares. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. 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 report on Friday, March 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 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 research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.56.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. The trade was a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business's 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 owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group issued an optimistic forecast for Verizon’s upcoming earnings, which supports upside expectations for EPS and could reinforce buy-side interest. Erste Group Bank Issues Optimistic Forecast for VZ Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call option activity (≈326k calls bought, ~300% above normal) signals speculative or hedged bullish positioning by options traders and can presage short-term upward pressure if buyers are directional. (market data)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are slightly revising fair value estimates upward as Verizon shows subscriber progress and cost-cutting; but the shift is modest and reflects mixed views on sustainability of margins and disclosure quality. How Verizon (VZ) Story Is Shifting As Cost Cuts Progress And Transparency Concerns Grow
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentators (including Jim Cramer) note Verizon’s operational moves and new leadership as constructive; this supports sentiment but hasn’t erased headwinds from heavy spending and telecom competition. Jim Cramer Says “Verizon’s Actually Got Some Game Here”
• Negative Sentiment: DBS Bank downgraded Verizon from Buy to Hold and set a $52 target, a visible analyst move that can pressure sentiment and prompt some profit-taking after the stock’s strong recent run. DBS Bank Downgrades Verizon (VZ) to Hold Despite Strong Stock Performance
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon is publicly urging shareholders to reject several activist proposals (CEO/chair split, ESG-pay linkage, increased climate oversight). The proxy fight heightens governance uncertainty and could sour some institutional investors ahead of the May 21 annual meeting. How Investors May Respond To Verizon (VZ) Resisting Activist Push On Governance, ESG Pay, And Climate Oversight
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst notes and coverage have spotlighted transparency and disclosure concerns alongside aggressive cost-cutting and heavy fiber/build spending — a combination that raises near-term execution and margin risk. How Verizon (VZ) Story Is Shifting As Cost Cuts Progress And Transparency Concerns Grow

About Verizon Communications

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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