Securian Asset Management Inc. Has $4.67 Million Stake in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Securian Asset Management cut its Verizon stake by 43.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 88,972 shares and leaving it with 114,652 shares worth about $4.67 million.
• Verizon reported better-than-expected quarterly EPS of $1.28 versus the $1.21 consensus, though revenue of $34.44 billion came in slightly below estimates. The company also reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of $4.95-$4.99.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly constructive, with several firms raising targets or ratings; Verizon’s average Wall Street rating is “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $50.59.

Securian Asset Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 43.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 114,652 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 88,972 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,670,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after purchasing an additional 5,497,598 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after purchasing an additional 7,276,809 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 45,265,695 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,989,427,000 after buying an additional 557,576 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 28,188,066 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,238,866,000 after buying an additional 1,203,445 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 22,592,460 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $992,939,000 after buying an additional 646,537 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon will have CEO Dan Schulman speak at two upcoming investor conferences, giving management a chance to outline strategy, answer questions on the business outlook, and potentially reinforce confidence in the company’s execution. Verizon to Speak at Upcoming Investor Conferences
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Verizon to $4.96 from $4.92, signaling slightly better earnings expectations and suggesting analysts see stable fundamentals ahead. Verizon Communications (VZ) Surged from Excellent Execution
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s broader fiber expansion and buyback plans continue to support the investment case, as the company now has a larger fiber footprint and a $25 billion repurchase authorization that can help offset share dilution and support per-share metrics. Verizon Weighs Frontier Fiber Expansion Against Buybacks And Cost Cuts
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon also confirmed a few hundred job cuts as part of an ongoing operational revamp. The move supports cost discipline, but it is not large enough on its own to materially change the near-term earnings outlook. Verizon cutting a few hundred jobs nationwide

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of VZ stock opened at $47.21 on Monday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The firm has a market cap of $197.12 billion, a PE ratio of 11.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.24. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $48.81 and a 200-day moving average of $44.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. The company's quarterly 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 predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on VZ. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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