State of Alaska Department of Revenue Sells 32,215 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• State of Alaska Department of Revenue sold 32,215 shares of Verizon (a 4.9% reduction), leaving it with 629,933 shares worth about $25.656 million per the latest 13F filing.
• Verizon slightly beat quarterly expectations (EPS $1.09 vs. $1.06), reported 2% revenue growth, set FY2026 guidance of 4.90–4.95 EPS, and raised the quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83, ~6.1% yield).
• Corporate insiders have been net sellers (notably Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares), while analysts are mixed but generally positive—MarketBeat rates Verizon a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $50.56.

State of Alaska Department of Revenue decreased its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 4.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 629,933 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 32,215 shares during the quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $25,656,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its holdings 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 valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its holdings 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 valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of VZ opened at $46.06 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $192.51 billion, a PE ratio of 11.37, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.29. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $49.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $43.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The business's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company 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 boost from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is presently 69.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at $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 SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. The trade was a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on VZ shares. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Barclays lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Two equities 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

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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