Swedbank AB Purchases 339,167 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Swedbank AB increased its stake in Verizon by 4.9%, adding 339,167 shares to hold 7,204,230 shares (about 0.17% of the company) valued at roughly $293.4 million at quarter‑end.
• Notable insider selling occurred recently: SVP Mary‑Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares and Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares (about $9.92M), leaving insiders with just 0.03% ownership and weighing on sentiment.
• Operational and analyst backdrop: Verizon beat Q1 EPS estimates ($1.28 vs. $1.21) while revenue slightly missed, set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $4.95–$4.99, and carries a "Moderate Buy" broker consensus with an average price target near $50.59.

Swedbank AB lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 4.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,204,230 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 339,167 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB owned approximately 0.17% of Verizon Communications worth $293,428,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded 5G Frontline network slice broadens mission‑critical addressable market (first responders, more devices), reinforcing Verizon’s push into higher‑value public‑sector and enterprise use cases. Verizon Extends 5G Frontline Access As Valuation Gap Draws Attention
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains constructive — “Moderate Buy” consensus from brokerages supports upside expectations from the street. Verizon Communications Inc. NYSE: VZ Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst takeaways from Verizon’s Q1 call highlighted improved postpaid phone adds, lower acquisition/retention costs and management’s shift toward durable recurring revenue — factors that underpinned the recent positive market reaction to results. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon’s Q1 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: Value investors are being reminded of Verizon’s attractively low multiple and steady dividend (high yield vs. peers), which supports long‑term buy arguments amid modest growth. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating — a neutral stance that suggests limited near‑term catalyst from this particular analyst action. Finviz
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces comparing Verizon’s dividend to peers (e.g., Nike) highlight Verizon’s strong adjusted earnings growth and yield — useful for income investors but not an immediate stock catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling (roughly US$12m sold over the past year) can signal management/insider hesitancy and weighs on sentiment for some investors. Verizon Communications Insiders Sold US$12m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation debate persists: some analysts view VZ as cheap on multiples but raise structural concerns (mix shift, secular wireless trends), which can cap multiple expansion. Verizon Stock: Cheap Multiple, Complicated Story

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In related news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was 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. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE VZ opened at $47.34 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 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $48.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $197.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.55, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.24.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm's revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VZ has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. KeyCorp reissued a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

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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