San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC Buys 143,990 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• San Luis Wealth Advisors boosted its stake in Verizon by 589.6% in Q4, buying 143,990 shares to hold 168,413 shares valued at $6.859 million, representing about 1.1% of its portfolio and its 26th largest holding.
• Insider selling accelerated recently: Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares at an average $49.61 (~$9.92M) and SVP Mary‑Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares, with insiders disposing of 218,148 shares worth $10.78M in the last 90 days.
• Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 per share (annualized $2.83), a 6.2% yield; the ex‑dividend date is April 10 and the payment date is May 1.

San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 589.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 168,413 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 143,990 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications comprises about 1.1% of San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $6,859,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the 3rd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications in the third quarter worth $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates boosted its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Dbs Bank lowered shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Two research 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.56.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal — Multiple personal finance outlets continue to include VZ among high-yield, blue‑chip picks for building income streams, which supports baseline demand from income investors. Four Tickers That Turn $1 Million Into $60,000 of Annual Income
• Positive Sentiment: Recommended in dividend roundups — VZ is also featured in articles about building six‑figure and multi‑thousand passive income portfolios, reinforcing its positioning as a reliable dividend name for long‑term income investors. Build a Six Figure Dividend Stream With Four Blue Chip Names and $2 Million
• Neutral Sentiment: General market coverage — Several market summaries note recent share weakness and call attention to upcoming earnings (late April), prompting higher search interest; these items are informational and may increase short‑term volatility around the report. Should You Buy Verizon Communications Stock Before April 27?
• Negative Sentiment: Seven straight sessions of decline — Coverage highlights that shares have fallen for multiple consecutive sessions, reflecting sustained selling pressure and negative momentum. Verizon Communications shares decline for the seventh consecutive session
• Negative Sentiment: Governance activism and analyst caution — Analysts and news analysis point to shareholder groups pressing governance and climate oversight ahead of the May annual meeting, plus recent downgrades and insider activity that have weighed on sentiment. This is a catalyst for near‑term downside risk until shareholder votes and analyst views clear. A Look At Verizon Communications (VZ) Valuation As Governance Activism And Analyst Downgrades Shape Sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Recent trading notes — Market summaries report daily share slides and increased attention as the stock underperforms broader markets, adding to short-term downside pressure ahead of earnings. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE VZ opened at $45.40 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $49.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $43.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $189.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.21, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 prior year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is presently 69.88%.

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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