Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Bought by Stratos Wealth Partners LTD.

Key Points

• Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. raised its Verizon stake 14.0% to 379,174 shares (about $16.7M) in Q3, and institutional ownership is high at 62.06% with several other funds also increasing positions.
• Verizon beat Q4 estimates (EPS $1.09 vs $1.06; revenue $36.38B vs $36.20B), set FY‑2026 guidance of $4.90–$4.95 EPS, and analysts have lifted targets, leaving a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a $49.02 price target.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83), yielding about 6.0%, reinforcing its income/total‑return case.

Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 14.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 379,174 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after acquiring an additional 46,699 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $16,665,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% during the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 335,856 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $14,761,000 after acquiring an additional 13,787 shares in the last quarter. Cadinha & Co. LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2,916.8% in the second quarter. Cadinha & Co. LLC now owns 347,716 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $15,046,000 after purchasing an additional 336,190 shares during the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 11.0% in the second quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 7,297,469 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $309,551,000 after purchasing an additional 722,559 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 378.7% during the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 93,732 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $4,120,000 after purchasing an additional 74,151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 555,785 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $24,427,000 after purchasing an additional 43,116 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. The trade was a 17.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on VZ. Weiss Ratings upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $49.02.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.7%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $47.37 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $47.79. The firm's 50-day moving average is $41.13 and its 200-day moving average is $41.79. 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 market cap of $199.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.70, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.33.

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

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is currently 68.15%.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upbeat 2026 guidance — Verizon reported better-than-expected Q4 revenue and EPS, flagged a pickup in net additions and raised forward-looking targets (including FY26 EPS guidance near $4.95), which helped reframe the company's growth outlook. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts nudging valuations higher — RBC and other analysts raised price targets after the Q4 results (RBC to $48), reflecting improved confidence in the turnaround and prompting renewed buy-side interest. RBC Capital Raises its Price Target on Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) to $48
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend yield and institutional demand support total-return case — Coverage notes Verizon’s ~6% yield and strong institutional buying, positioning the stock as a high-yield value play with upside if execution continues. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: Value-stock narratives gaining traction — Zacks/MSN pieces highlight Verizon’s attractive valuation metrics (low P/E, stable cash flow) and rate it as a long-term value buy, which can attract income and value-focused funds. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is “reworking the story” — Coverage suggests the narrative is shifting from a defensive telecom to a growth/turnaround story under new leadership; the re-rating may continue but depends on follow-through. Looking At The Verizon Communications (VZ) Narrative As Wall Street Reworks The Story
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and margin risks — Analysts caution margins are under pressure from marketing and accelerated 5G build-out; continued spending or weaker pricing could blunt the recovery and dividend support. Investors should watch execution on network investment and pricing discipline. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight

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.

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.