Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by TD Asset Management Inc

Key Points

• TD Asset Management Inc. cut its Verizon stake by 1.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 45,645 shares and ending with 2.9 million shares valued at about $118.2 million.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but still moderately positive: Verizon currently has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with an average price target of $50.59, though one firm recently downgraded the stock to hold.
• Verizon posted strong recent results and continues to pay a hefty dividend: quarterly EPS beat estimates, revenue rose 2.7% year over year, and the company declared a $0.7075 per share quarterly dividend, implying a 6.3% yield.

TD Asset Management Inc lowered its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 1.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,902,394 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 45,645 shares during the quarter. TD Asset Management Inc owned 0.07% of Verizon Communications worth $118,215,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the third quarter valued at $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on VZ. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Friday, May 29th. One 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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 Price Performance

Verizon Communications stock 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 stock has a market cap of $187.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.94, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $47.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

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

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.02%.

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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