Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D trimmed its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,434,953 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 23,831 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $58,446,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in VZ. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm's 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 completion of the sale, the director directly 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. Insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VZ. Erste Group Bank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. KeyCorp reiterated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.41.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results and subscriber reversal — Verizon reported adjusted EPS of $1.28 (above estimates) and added ~55,000 wireless subscribers, the first positive phone additions in many years; management raised profit guidance, which underpins stronger near-term cash flow and dividend/support for the stock. Verizon Adds 55,000 Subscribers
• Positive Sentiment: Market re-rating after Q1 — Analysts and outlets are highlighting a subscriber turnaround plus higher adjusted earnings guidance, bringing renewed investor attention and a recent run-up in the shares as expectations for durable margins and cash generation improve. A Look At Verizon Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst moves supporting relative value — Morgan Stanley raised its price target (to $50) and other firms adjusted coverage/comments after the quarter, which can bolster sentiment even if ratings remained neutral/equal-weight. Analyst Price Target Moves
• Neutral Sentiment: Small EPS estimate tweak from Erste Group — Erste trimmed its FY2027 EPS forecast slightly (from $5.28 to $5.26) but retained a Strong-Buy rating, signaling confidence in the multi-year thesis despite the modest revision.
• Negative Sentiment: Toughening competitive landscape — T‑Mobile’s strong quarter and aggressive broadband/fiber JV strategy create a material competitive threat for wireless and broadband share gains, which could pressure Verizon’s subscriber growth and pricing over time. T-Mobile's Broadband Blitz Puts Cable on Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slight miss — While EPS beat, Q1 revenue came in a bit below consensus, a reminder that top-line momentum is not uniform and could limit upside if growth stalls. Verizon CEO Claims Turnaround Is Officially Underway

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

NYSE VZ opened at $47.32 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $48.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $43.97. The firm has a market cap of $197.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.56, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.79 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. This is a boost from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio is 69.02%.

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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