Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by CapWealth Advisors LLC

Key Points

• CapWealth Advisors trimmed its stake in Verizon by 14.3% in Q4, selling 56,207 shares and retaining 336,436 shares valued at about $13.7 million, while institutional investors collectively own 62.06% of the company.
• Insider selling accelerated: Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares for roughly $9.92 million, and insiders have sold 218,148 shares valued at $10.78 million over the past 90 days (insiders own 0.03% of the stock).
• Q1 results and outlook: Verizon posted an EPS beat ($1.28 vs. $1.21 consensus) with revenue of $34.44 billion slightly below estimates, set FY2026 guidance of $4.95–$4.99 EPS, and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $50.59.

CapWealth Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 14.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 336,436 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 56,207 shares during the period. CapWealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $13,703,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company'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 $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% 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 stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company's stock, valued at $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE VZ opened at $48.17 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $201.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $48.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VZ. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. 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 report on Monday, February 2nd. William Blair raised shares of Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.59.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 surprise and subscriber momentum — Verizon reported an EPS beat and posted first-quarter postpaid phone subscriber gains, which investors view as evidence the turnaround is gaining traction; that momentum is being cited in valuation write-ups and helped lift sentiment. A Look At Verizon (VZ) Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings And Subscriber Turnaround
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target bump — JPMorgan raised its VZ price target from $49 to $52 (while keeping a neutral rating), signaling incremental upside in analyst expectations and providing a short-term technical catalyst. JPMorgan raises VZ price target
• Positive Sentiment: Partner/network recognition — Verizon’s partner Cydcor won Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year award, reinforcing channel strength and sales execution at the retail/agent level. Cydcor Earns Verizon's 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year Award
• Neutral Sentiment: Trending attention / retail interest — Zacks and other outlets note increased user interest in VZ; trending status can boost volume and volatility but is not a guarantee of sustained direction. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Adjacency to growth markets — Verizon is listed among players in industry reports (e.g., video telematics), indicating optionality beyond consumer wireless if execution in enterprise/commercial products scales. North America and Europe Video Telematics Market Research Report 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from T‑Mobile — comparisons and service/perk analyses highlight T‑Mobile’s strengths and its broadband expansion, which could pressure pricing and share in both wireless and home broadband segments. T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Which Big Phone Carrier Works Best for You?
• Negative Sentiment: T‑Mobile’s broadband blitz — T‑Mobile’s capital-efficient push into broadband is described as a direct challenge to incumbents and could create longer-term margin and market-share pressure for Verizon. T-Mobile's Broadband Blitz Puts Cable on Notice (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Debt and income-investor risk — commentary (e.g., The Motley Fool) flags rising leverage after the Frontier acquisition as a potential “time bomb” for income investors, which could limit upside multiple expansion and increase sensitivity to interest rates. The Ticking Time Bomb That Could Force Income Investors to Sell Verizon Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Minor analyst EPS trim — Erste Group slightly cut FY2027 EPS estimates for Verizon, a small reminder that forecasts remain sensitive to revenue mix and legacy/merger-related costs. Erste Group trims VZ FY2027 EPS estimate

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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