Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) CEO Sells 1,100 Shares of Company Stock

Key Points

• Verizon CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares at an average price of $44.48, receiving $48,928. The transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, and he retains 99,966 shares.
• Verizon shares fell 2.1% to $43.62, while the company maintains an annualized dividend of $2.83 per share, representing a 6.5% yield. Its latest quarterly results beat EPS expectations, though revenue declined 0.7% year over year.
• Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $50.80. Investors remain focused on upcoming earnings, competitive pressure from AT&T, T-Mobile and satellite services, as well as Verizon’s substantial debt.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.48, for a total value of $48,928.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 99,966 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,446,487.68. This trade represents a 1.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Kyle Malady also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, October 13th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.93, for a total value of $47,223.00.
• On Tuesday, October 6th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.75, for a total value of $50,325.00.
• On Tuesday, September 29th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.40, for a total value of $51,040.00.
• On Tuesday, September 22nd, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.65, for a total transaction of $52,415.00.
• On Tuesday, September 8th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total transaction of $54,978.00.
• On Tuesday, September 1st, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.50, for a total transaction of $55,550.00.
• On Tuesday, August 25th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total transaction of $55,066.00.
• On Tuesday, August 18th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock traded down $0.92 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $43.62. The stock had a trading volume of 29,897,805 shares, compared to its average volume of 27,245,383. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $47.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.74. The stock has a market cap of $181.25 billion, a PE ratio of 11.36, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.22 EPS. The firm's revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, October 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.70%.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon enters its upcoming earnings release with supportive fundamentals, including strong customer metrics, continued fiber expansion and an attractive valuation. Analysts expect single-digit year-over-year EPS growth, while Verizon’s low P/E ratio may appeal to income- and value-oriented investors. Is Verizon Stock Worth Buying Ahead of Q3 Earnings Release?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Verizon’s third-quarter results, expected in the coming week. The report will be important for assessing wireless subscriber trends, service revenue, margins and management’s outlook after the company previously guided to fiscal 2026 EPS of approximately $4.99-$5.04. What You Need to Know Ahead of Verizon Communications’ Earnings Release
• Negative Sentiment: AT&T’s post-earnings selloff, despite a quarterly beat and raised outlook, is weighing on Verizon and other wireless carriers. The reaction suggests investors may be concerned about sector valuation, growth durability or competitive trends rather than headline earnings alone. AT&T Sinks 5% Despite Q3 Beat and Raised Outlook; Verizon and T-Mobile Drop 3%
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risks remain elevated. Analysts cite pressure from T-Mobile and AT&T, while Elon Musk’s comments portraying Starlink as a disruptive force in telecom add to investor concerns about future satellite-connectivity competition. Verizon’s substantial debt is another consideration, particularly if interest rates remain restrictive. Elon Musk Says SpaceX’s Starlink Is Rewriting Telecom
• Negative Sentiment: A wireless customer-experience study reported a widening gap between large legacy carriers and smaller challenger brands, reinforcing concerns about customer loyalty, churn and the cost of defending market share. Market Force Information Wireless Benchmark Study

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Capstone Capital Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at approximately $592,000. Range Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 104,036 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $4,772,000 after buying an additional 2,649 shares during the period. Newman Dignan & Sheerar Inc. increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Newman Dignan & Sheerar Inc. now owns 26,408 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,211,000 after buying an additional 310 shares during the period. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 21.5% during the 3rd quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC now owns 14,860 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $682,000 after buying an additional 2,628 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 55 North Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 7.5% during the 3rd quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC now owns 8,510 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $390,000 after buying an additional 596 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on VZ shares. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Moffett Nathanson cut their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.80.

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and digital connectivity services. Through its consumer business, Verizon offers mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and other connected devices, home internet, fixed wireless access, and fiber-optic broadband services under the Fios brand.

Verizon also serves businesses, government agencies, and other organizations with wireless connectivity, private networks, internet and data services, managed communications, cloud and security solutions, and Internet of Things services.

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