Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Purchased by Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.

Key Points

• Crossmark Global Holdings increased its Verizon stake by 9.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 82,814 more shares and lifting its position to 941,050 shares worth about $38.3 million.
• Verizon reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.28 per share versus $1.21 expected, though revenue of $34.44 billion came in slightly below estimates. The company also kept its FY2026 EPS guidance at $4.950 to $4.990.
• Analysts remain generally constructive, with several price target increases and a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”; meanwhile, Verizon is pursuing fiber expansion and buybacks while also making modest job cuts as part of a cost-revamp effort.

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 9.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 941,050 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 82,814 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $38,329,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon will have CEO Dan Schulman speak at two upcoming investor conferences, giving management a chance to outline strategy, answer questions on the business outlook, and potentially reinforce confidence in the company’s execution. Verizon to Speak at Upcoming Investor Conferences
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Verizon to $4.96 from $4.92, signaling slightly better earnings expectations and suggesting analysts see stable fundamentals ahead. Verizon Communications (VZ) Surged from Excellent Execution
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s broader fiber expansion and buyback plans continue to support the investment case, as the company now has a larger fiber footprint and a $25 billion repurchase authorization that can help offset share dilution and support per-share metrics. Verizon Weighs Frontier Fiber Expansion Against Buybacks And Cost Cuts
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon also confirmed a few hundred job cuts as part of an ongoing operational revamp. The move supports cost discipline, but it is not large enough on its own to materially change the near-term earnings outlook. Verizon cutting a few hundred jobs nationwide

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $47.21 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $197.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.24. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $48.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on VZ shares. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction 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 represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Verizon Communications 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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