Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) CEO Sells $54,978.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Verizon CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares for $54,978 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his holdings by 1.02% to 106,566 shares. The sale followed three similar weekly transactions.
• Verizon shares recently traded at $49.72, down 1.4%, near the company’s 52-week high of $51.68. The company exceeded quarterly EPS expectations but reported revenue below forecasts and a 0.7% year-over-year decline.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $50.97, while institutional investors own 62.06% of the stock. Verizon also signed a major Corning fiber-supply agreement aimed at expanding broadband and supporting AI-related network demand, though the investment could pressure near-term cash flow.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total transaction of $54,978.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 106,566 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,326,168.68. This represents a 1.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

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

• On Tuesday, September 1st, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The stock was 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 stock was 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 shares were sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of VZ traded down $0.69 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $49.72. The stock had a trading volume of 13,910,356 shares, compared to its average volume of 27,524,432. The company has a market cap of $206.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $46.61 and a 200 day moving average of $47.50.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VZ has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Barclays increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.97.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gill Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 74.6% during the second quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 620 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Robinswood Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 173.0% in the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon signed a supply agreement with Corning covering approximately 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber through 2032. The deal is intended to expand broadband access and strengthen infrastructure for rising AI-related data traffic, potentially supporting Verizon’s long-term connectivity growth. Verizon signs optical fiber deal with Corning to expand broadband, support AI growth
• Positive Sentiment: The agreement could help Verizon bring internet service to more homes and businesses while benefiting from demand for converged broadband services and AI network capacity. The strategic relevance of the deal has also highlighted Verizon’s role in the broader AI infrastructure buildout. Verizon, Corning Reach Multi-Billion Dollar Agreement for Broadband Expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, unchanged from the prior quarter. The dividend is payable November 2 to shareholders of record October 9, reinforcing the stock’s income appeal but providing no new payout increase. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on September 9, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear to be viewing the fiber agreement less favorably for Verizon than for Corning. Although the deal creates future network capacity, its multibillion-dollar scale implies substantial long-term investment and execution commitments, which may weigh on near-term returns and free cash flow. Verizon and Corning Just Signed an 80 Million Mile Fiber Deal to Wire the AI Boom
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary also notes that Verizon is trading near a 52-week high following a strong comeback, leaving investors questioning whether much of the recovery is already reflected in the valuation. A shift away from defensive telecom and income-oriented stocks may add further pressure. Verizon Stock Is Near a 52-Week High

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related technology services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, 5G connectivity, fixed wireless access, fiber-optic internet through Verizon Fios, home services, and connected-device solutions.

Through Verizon Business, the company serves enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations with communications networks, managed connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud and edge-computing services, unified communications, and Internet of Things solutions.

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