Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by KBC Group NV

Key Points

• KBC Group NV cut its Verizon stake by 54.7% in Q4, selling 2,817,682 shares and retaining 2,330,651 shares valued at about $94.9 million.
• Verizon beat quarterly estimates (EPS $1.09 vs. $1.06 and revenue $36.38B vs. $36.20B), set FY2026 guidance of 4.900–4.950 EPS, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annual $2.83), a 6.3% yield.
• Company insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares worth $10.78 million last quarter, including Director Hans Erik Vestberg's 200,000-share sale and SVP Mary‑Lee Stillwell's sale of 8,569 shares.

KBC Group NV reduced its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 54.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,330,651 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 2,817,682 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV owned 0.06% of Verizon Communications worth $94,927,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the 3rd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates grew its position in Verizon Communications by 739.5% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 599 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at $35,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $45.06 on Thursday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $49.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $43.66. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The firm has a market cap of $188.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The firm 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% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This is an increase from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is currently 69.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and raised their target price for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.56.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was 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 $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 over the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently 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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