Synergy Asset Management LLC Sells 155,634 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Synergy Asset Management sold 155,634 Verizon shares, trimming its position by 63.8% to 88,343 shares worth about $3.60 million per its latest 13F filing.
• Analysts have been raising ratings and price targets (e.g., Oppenheimer to $56), leaving a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a target near $50.32, signaling renewed institutional confidence.
• Verizon slightly beat Q4 estimates (EPS $1.09 vs. $1.06) and set FY‑2026 guidance at $4.90–$4.95, while boosting the quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annual $2.83, ~5.6% yield).

Synergy Asset Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 63.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 88,343 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 155,634 shares during the quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $3,598,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,759,000 after buying an additional 16,704 shares during the period. United Bank increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.5% during the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $339,000 after acquiring an additional 806 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the second quarter valued at approximately $250,000. Inceptionr LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the second quarter valued at approximately $689,000. Finally, Maia Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 28.1% in the second quarter. Maia Wealth LLC now owns 8,131 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $352,000 after purchasing an additional 1,786 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fractus patent settlement removes a lingering legal overhang, lowering litigation risk and clarifying cash‑flow expectations for Verizon. Fractus and Verizon settle patent litigation
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs and other analysts have raised price targets/issued upgrades, signaling institutional confidence and supporting short‑term upside. Verizon Receives a Vote of Confidence as Goldman Sachs Raises Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have nudged fair‑value estimates modestly higher (example: an update to about $50.76), reflecting improved visibility on costs and subscriber trends. How The Verizon (VZ) Investment Story Is Shifting On Costs Transparency And Fair Value Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Recent retail/investor writeups (MSN/Yahoo) highlight a bullish thesis around valuation (low trailing/forward P/E) and steady dividend profile, attracting buy interest. Is Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage noted a small pullback in recent sessions, reflecting normal volatility as investors digest mixed signals rather than a new fundamental shift. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on investor reaction to the Fractus settlement suggests the deal improves the risk profile but doesn’t materially change Verizon’s growth story. How Investors May Respond To Verizon (VZ) Settling Fractus Patent Dispute And Easing Legal Overhang
• Negative Sentiment: AT&T’s rollout of 5G coverage in NYC subway tunnels (with partners) is a competitive threat in dense urban markets that could pressure share gains and subscriber adds if it yields a clear customer advantage. AT&T 5G Powers New York's Subway Connectivity: Will it Drive Revenues?
• Negative Sentiment: Reports on aggressive pricing and loyalty risks at rival carriers amplify the risk of promotional cycles that could pressure ARPU and churn. AT&T puts loyalty at risk with stern warning to customers

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the topic of several research reports. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Scotiabank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $50.32.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.6%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $50.70 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $47.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.22. 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 firm has a market cap of $213.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.31. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 issued a $0.7075 dividend. This is a boost from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is presently 68.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 43,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.