Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by Argent Advisors Inc.

Key Points

• Argent Advisors Inc. cut its Verizon stake by 32.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 33,189 shares and leaving it with 68,617 shares valued at about $2.8 million.
• Verizon’s latest earnings beat EPS estimates at $1.28 per share, though revenue of $34.44 billion came in slightly below expectations. The company also guided FY 2026 EPS to 4.950-4.990.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but generally constructive: Verizon has a Moderate Buy average rating with an average price target of $50.59, while the stock was recently down 3.8% and traded at $44.87.

Argent Advisors Inc. decreased its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 32.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,617 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 33,189 shares during the quarter. Argent Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $2,795,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $257,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $377,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC now owns 14,891 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $607,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 27,471 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,119,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 3.8%

VZ opened at $44.87 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock has a market cap of $187.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $47.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.27.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the topic of several recent research reports. Dbs Bank downgraded Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Barclays raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon declared its regular quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, unchanged from the prior quarter, which reinforces the company’s appeal to income-focused investors. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on June 4, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon reported the results of its 2026 annual shareholder meeting, where shareholders elected all nine director nominees. This is routine governance news and does not appear to materially change the investment outlook. Verizon Communications (VZ) Announced Results for Annual 2026 Shareholder Meeting
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Supreme Court backed the FCC’s fine-collection process in a case involving Verizon and AT&T, removing a legal challenge that wireless carriers had hoped might limit regulatory penalties. Investors may view this as a modest negative for carrier risk exposure. US Supreme Court backs FCC in clash with wireless carriers over fines
• Negative Sentiment: Recent market coverage also highlighted Verizon’s weaker trading session versus the broader market, and another report noted operational friction from a strict in-store policy that could frustrate customers. Together, these items point to short-term sentiment pressure on the stock. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) Dipped More Than Broader Market Today

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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