TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. Decreases Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• TD Waterhouse Canada trimmed its stake in Verizon by 7.0% in Q4, selling 68,204 shares and leaving it with 905,359 shares valued at about $36.9 million.
• Verizon secured the Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor role for FIFA World Cup 2026 and is showing investor-friendly moves — a $25 billion buyback authorization and a raised quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (6.1% yield) — helping drive analyst upgrades and a consensus "Moderate Buy" price target of $50.56.

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 7.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 905,359 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 68,204 shares during the quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $36,893,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cascade Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 7,318 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $322,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.8% in the second quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. now owns 30,400 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,315,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.1% in the third quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,490 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the third quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 5,035 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $221,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hager Investment Management Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 26.2% in the third quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon secured the Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor role for FIFA World Cup 2026, positioning its 5G, fixed wireless access and broadcast solutions to showcase capabilities on a global stage — a high-visibility commercial win that could drive enterprise deals and consumer adoption. Verizon to Power Unforgettable Fan Experiences at the FIFA World Cup 2026™
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and trade press note the sponsorship could highlight Verizon’s 5G and fiber strengths and open new revenue/enterprise opportunities tied to large live events and media services. VZ to Boost Fan Experience at FIFA World Cup: Will it Drive Prospects?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor-focused pieces highlight resilient cash flow, a rich dividend and a new $25B share-repurchase authorization through 2028 — factors that support shareholder returns and underpin buy-side interest. Verizon: A Strong Buy Due To Its Resilient Cash Flow And Stable Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Additional analysis argues Verizon is entering a reversal-to-growth phase with disciplined capex and M&A that could lift medium-term earnings, keeping VZ on buy lists despite recent run-ups. Verizon: Reversal To Growth, Temper Expectations Entering Q1, Still A Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an equal-weight rating and a $49 price target (roughly mid-single-digit upside), signaling modest upside relative to risk — a neutral-to-cautious take from a large sell-side firm.
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC reiterated a hold rating, keeping expectations muted among some traditional telecom analysts. RBC Capital Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Verizon (VZ)
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market strength provided support for equities yesterday, but sector/stock-specific drivers (sponsorship, buybacks, guidance) remain the primary determinants for VZ’s moves. Stock Market News for Apr 17, 2026

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on VZ shares. Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Erste Group Bank raised Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. KeyCorp reissued a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Evercore boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $46.60 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $194.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.29. 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 company has a 50 day moving average price of $49.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.71. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released 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 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 company's quarterly 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.88%.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% 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 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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