Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC Grows Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC grew its stake in Verizon by 6.9% to 420,920 shares (about $17.14 million) in Q4, and institutional investors now own roughly 62.06% of the company.
• Q4 results topped estimates — Verizon reported $1.09 EPS vs. $1.06 expected and $36.38B revenue vs. $36.20B, and it set FY2026 guidance of $4.90–$4.95 EPS (analysts expect about $4.90).
• Dividend was raised to $0.7075 quarterly ($2.83 annualized, ~6.2% yield), while insiders sold roughly 218,148 shares (~$10.78M) over the past three months.

Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 6.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 420,920 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after buying an additional 27,055 shares during the period. Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC's holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $17,144,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% in 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. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 152.9% during the 4th quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc now owns 827 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $45.96 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $192.11 billion, a PE ratio of 11.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.29. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $43.76.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. Verizon Communications's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.88%.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and previews highlight Verizon’s strategic drivers — the Frontier deal, continued 5G network investment and fiber expansion — which support revenue and margin improvement potential over time. Verizon to Report Q1 Earnings: How to Approach the Stock Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon has scheduled its Q1 2026 earnings webcast for Apr 27 (8:30 a.m. ET); investors will be listening for subscriber trends, service revenue, capex guidance and fiber progress. Verizon Communications Inc. Schedules First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Report and Webcast
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street estimate rundowns are available — analysts are parsing subscriber metrics and non‑GAAP drivers beyond headline EPS to set expectations for the report. Curious about Verizon (VZ) Q1 Performance? Explore Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus on the broader telecom group — AT&T’s mixed Q1 showing (revenue beat but weak wireless revenue) keeps competitive dynamics in view for pricing and churn. Stock Market Today, April 22: AT&T Edges Upwards on Mixed Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: A Blue Origin launch issue led AST SpaceMobile shares sharply lower; any delays or setbacks for satellite partners could slow direct‑to‑device initiatives that might affect Verizon’s satellite-related plans or timing. AST SpaceMobile Drops 15% After Blue Origin Satellite Mishap (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: CEO comments warning about rapid AI adoption’s labor/economic risks have drawn attention to potential demand and regulatory implications, adding uncertainty to longer‑term outlook discussions. Verizon CEO AI Warning Puts Job Risks And Valuation In Focus
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling and large institutional position reductions (noted in filings) can amplify downward pressure or signal cautious positioning ahead of the print. Verizon Communications Inc. Schedules First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Report and Webcast

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. KeyCorp restated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Evercore upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Two 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $50.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 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 owned 43,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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