Key Points
- Verizon CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares for $54,978 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, leaving him with 106,566 shares. He has also made three similar sales since August 18.
- Verizon reported quarterly EPS of $1.30, beating estimates of $1.27, while revenue fell 0.7% year over year to $34.25 billion. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $50.97 price target.
- The company declared an unchanged quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, equivalent to a 5.7% annualized yield. Verizon also agreed to secure more than 80 million miles of Corning optical fiber through 2032 to support broadband expansion and AI-related data-center connections.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total value of $54,978.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 106,566 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,326,168.68. This represents a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 shares were sold at an average price of $50.50, for a total value 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 value 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 value of $53,548.00.
Verizon Communications Price Performance
Shares of VZ opened at $49.70 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $206.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a 50 day moving average of $46.76 and a 200-day moving average of $47.51.
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.22 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications's payout ratio is 73.70%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
VZ has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Scotiabank raised their price target on Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $50.97.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on VZ
Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Verizon agreed to secure more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber from Corning through 2032. The supply should support expansion toward 40 million–50 million broadband passings, strengthen fiber-and-wireless bundles, and provide capacity for AI-related data-center connections. Verizon signs optical fiber deal with Corning to expand broadband, support AI growth
- Positive Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman said Verizon has seen “zero discernible impact” on broadband growth from low-Earth-orbit providers such as Starlink, easing concerns that satellite broadband will quickly erode Verizon’s fixed-line opportunity. Verizon Waves Off Starlink, Bets On Cities And Old Phone Buildings
- Neutral Sentiment: Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, unchanged from the prior quarter. The payout reinforces its income appeal but provides no new dividend-growth catalyst. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on September 9, 2026
- Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The relatively small transaction reduces its signaling value, though insider selling can add modest investor caution.
- Negative Sentiment: The broader shift away from defensive plays is weighing on Verizon as investors favor higher-growth sectors. The stock’s proximity to its 52-week high may also encourage profit-taking, while the fiber agreement requires significant investment and is not expected to begin delivering volume until 2027. Shift Away from Defensive Plays Hits Verizon Communications
Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications
A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VZ. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 4,016.0% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 271,369,762 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $11,489,796,000 after buying an additional 264,776,704 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $4,168,080,000 after purchasing an additional 867,694 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 15.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $3,117,471,000 after purchasing an additional 8,289,877 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.
About Verizon Communications
(
Get Free Report)
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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