Key Points
- Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 VZ shares on Feb. 24 at an average price of $49.61 for roughly $9.92M, cutting his direct stake by about 57.96% to 145,069 shares.
- Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83) for a yield of ~5.7%, with an ex-dividend date and record date of April 10 and payment on May 1.
- Recent earnings beat and guidance: Verizon reported Q EPS of $1.09 vs. $1.06 expected and revenue of $36.38B, set FY‑2026 guidance of $4.90–4.95 EPS, and carries a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target around $49.02.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.
Verizon Communications Trading Up 2.2%
NYSE VZ opened at $49.98 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $210.80 billion, a PE ratio of 12.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.33. The business's 50-day moving average price is $43.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $42.37. 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 $50.47.
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.
Verizon Communications Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is currently 68.15%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $49.02.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on VZ
Verizon Communications News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Verizon-backed Aduna hit a major milestone as the leading provider of U.S. network APIs, giving Verizon a stronger position to sell standardized, CAMARA‑compliant network intelligence to large enterprises — a potential revenue and competitive win. Aduna Reaches Milestone as a Leading Provider of U.S. Network APIs
- Positive Sentiment: Verizon closed its Frontier assets deal and launched a transformation focused on expanding fiber, cutting costs and reshaping enterprise services — management says this could deliver several billion in annual savings and scale fiber reach, supporting longer‑term margin improvement. Verizon Reshapes Fiber, Costs And Enterprise Services With Frontier And Aduna
- Positive Sentiment: NJIT announced an expanded, Verizon‑supported AI and cybersecurity workforce training program (no‑cost to eligible residents), which boosts Verizon’s public positioning on talent development for 5G/AI services and could help with hiring/retention in AI and network security roles. NJIT to Launch Expanded AI and Cybersecurity Workforce Training in Partnership with Verizon
- Neutral Sentiment: Industry and analyst pieces (Zacks, MWC coverage, 5G market reports) highlight Verizon’s value metrics and role in 5G/edge opportunities; useful for sentiment but not immediate catalysts. Here's Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Strong Value Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Broader telecom ecosystem stories — HCLTech’s AI‑native telecom focus at MWC and a growing 5G smart‑stadium market — underscore secular demand for Verizon’s network services but are industry-level rather than firm-specific catalysts. HCLTech to drive dialogues on AI-native future of telecom industry at MWC 2026
- Negative Sentiment: Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 VZ shares on Feb. 24 for roughly $9.9M — a large disclosed insider sale that can raise investor concerns about insider confidence or be interpreted as routine liquidity. Hans Erik Vestberg Insider Sale
- Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~34.8% in February to ~148.3M shares (about 3.5% of float), which increases downward pressure risk and could amplify volatility if sentiment shifts. (Source: short‑interest update provided in filings/news aggregation.)
Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications
Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $113,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. KW Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.8% during the fourth quarter. KW Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,814 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $481,000 after acquiring an additional 1,244 shares in the last quarter. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter worth about $2,860,000. DGS Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 14.2% in the 4th quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 28,177 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $1,148,000 after acquiring an additional 3,506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coastline Complete Wealth LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at about $216,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.
About Verizon Communications
(
Get Free Report)
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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