Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Purchased by DNB Asset Management AS

Key Points

• DNB Asset Management AS increased its Verizon stake by 14.1% in the fourth quarter, buying 177,311 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,432,652 shares worth about $58.35 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to Verizon positions, and 62.06% of the stock is now held by institutions and hedge funds, showing continued professional investor interest.
• Verizon’s recent news flow was mostly positive: the FCC approved its $1 billion spectrum purchase from U.S. Cellular, and the company also joined a satellite-based rural coverage venture and completed a $4 billion notes offering to strengthen its capital structure.

DNB Asset Management AS raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 14.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,432,652 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after purchasing an additional 177,311 shares during the period. DNB Asset Management AS's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $58,352,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,759,000 after purchasing an additional 16,704 shares during the period. United Bank boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 11.5% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 806 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 312.0% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 17,901 shares during the period. HUB Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $1,779,000 after purchasing an additional 6,034 shares during the period. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $389,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FCC approved Verizon’s $1 billion purchase of spectrum assets from U.S. Cellular, a move that should expand Verizon’s network capacity and coverage and strengthen its competitive position. FCC approves Verizon's $1 billion spectrum purchase
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon joined AT&T and T-Mobile in a proposed satellite-based joint venture aimed at closing rural wireless dead zones, which could improve service quality, coverage reliability, and the industry’s long-term growth narrative. Verizon Joins Rivals On Satellite Venture Reshaping Coverage And Investor Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon closed a $4 billion junior subordinated notes offering, which was framed as strengthening its capital structure and supporting refinancing/funding flexibility. Verizon Strengthens Capital Structure with $4 Billion Notes
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish piece highlighted Verizon as one of 2026’s top defensive picks, citing undervaluation, a well-covered dividend, and potential upside over the next year. Why Verizon Is One of Our Top Defensive Picks In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on Verizon’s competitive position versus T-Mobile, customer retention, and a customer-facing website blocking issue; these are more mixed in nature and do not clearly change the near-term investment case. T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Is It Time to Choose a New Carrier?
• Negative Sentiment: A report on new layoffs suggests Verizon is still pushing hard on cost cuts and restructuring, which may help margins but can also signal pressure on operations and demand. Verizon Announces New Layoffs as Cost-Cutting Continues Into 2026
• Negative Sentiment: One article warned that Verizon’s latest phone plan changes could push away customers, reinforcing concerns about churn in a highly competitive wireless market. Verizon’s latest phone plan change may drive away consumers

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company's 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 in the company, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on VZ. Citigroup upped 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. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 1.3%

Verizon Communications stock opened at $46.44 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $193.90 billion, a PE ratio of 11.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.24. 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 firm's 50 day moving average price is $48.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.48. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm 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 quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.

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