Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by Truist Financial Corp

Key Points

• Truist cut its stake in Verizon by 34.3% in Q4, selling 1,251,237 shares and leaving it with 2,393,859 shares worth about $97.5 million, while institutional investors own roughly 62.06% of the company.
• Verizon beat Q1 EPS expectations ($1.28 vs. $1.21) but missed on revenue ($34.44B vs. $34.82B) and reiterated FY2026 guidance of 4.950–4.990 EPS, roughly in line with analyst consensus of 4.95.
• Notable insider selling occurred recently (Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares for about $9.92M) amid mixed analyst sentiment—consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with a $50.59 price target.

Truist Financial Corp lessened its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 34.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,393,859 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 1,251,237 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corp owned about 0.06% of Verizon Communications worth $97,502,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Altrius Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Altrius Capital Management Inc now owns 123,005 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $5,010,000 after purchasing an additional 6,907 shares during the last quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. FSA Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,242,000. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 31.6% in the fourth quarter. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC now owns 6,849 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $279,000 after purchasing an additional 1,644 shares during the last quarter. Finally, RIA Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. RIA Advisory Group LLC now owns 155,416 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $6,330,000 after purchasing an additional 6,630 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $47.55 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $198.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.60, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.25. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $48.94 and a 200 day moving average of $44.05.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. 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 4.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. KeyCorp reiterated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Erste Group Bank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and operational improvement: Verizon beat EPS expectations, reported improved postpaid phone net additions, and cited lower acquisition/retention costs — management framed results as evidence of durable, recurring revenue progress. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon’s Q1 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support / price target lift: At least one outlet flagged a higher price target ($52), indicating some analysts see upside from current levels. Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ Price Target Raised to $52.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Value-stock narrative: Several analysts and research services highlight VZ as a long‑term value pick given low multiples (single‑digit forward P/E) and dividend yield, which supports income-focused investor interest but may limit rapid re-rating. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Cheap multiple, complicated outlook: Commentary notes VZ trades at low earnings multiples but faces structural questions, tempering enthusiasm for a durable multiple expansion. Verizon Stock: Cheap Multiple, Complicated Story
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Company insiders sold roughly US$12M of VZ stock over the past year, which investors can interpret as hedging or reduced insider conviction and that can pressure sentiment. Verizon Communications Insiders Sold US$12m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure and sector dynamics: Analysts are increasingly bullish on competitors (notably T‑Mobile), and sector narratives about “telecom wars” and upside in peers may divert investor dollars away from VZ. Q1 2026 Telecom Wars: Analyst Eye 30% Gains in T-Mobile Post-Earnings (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and past outage: While EPS beat, revenue came in below estimates and management acknowledged a January network outage — mixed fundamentals plus execution risks can prompt profit‑taking. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon’s Q1 Earnings Call

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was 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 directly 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

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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