Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Sells Off Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic-Rhode Island) recently sold shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ). In a filing disclosed on March 06th, the Senator disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Verizon Communications stock on February 23rd.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) on 2/23/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Mastercard (NYSE:MA) on 2/23/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) on 2/23/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) on 1/9/2026.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $51.17 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The stock has a market cap of $215.82 billion, a PE ratio of 12.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.31. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $44.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $42.60.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The firm 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%.During the same period last year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 68.15%.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon showcased a 5G + edge computing proof‑of‑concept for vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) with Aptiv and Wind River at MWC — a practical demo that highlights potential enterprise/edge revenue and differentiates Verizon’s network capabilities. Verizon Weighs V2X Growth Opportunities Against Sponsorship Cost Controls
• Positive Sentiment: Management is reviewing large sponsorship deals (including the NFL partnership) as part of cost controls — cutting hundreds of millions in marketing/sponsorship spend could improve margins and free cash flow if executed. Verizon (VZ) Reviewing NFL Partnership and Other Sponsorship Deals to Cut Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst pieces point to durable operational momentum — subscriber gains, broadband growth and AI/telematics initiatives alongside recent quarterly beats and FY26 guidance underpin the stock’s strong YTD performance and support dividend coverage. Verizon Shares Rise 19.4% in a Year: Should You Invest Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is asking whether Verizon is fairly valued after a strong year‑to‑date run — this could prompt profit‑taking or re‑ratings but is not a company action. Is It Time To Reassess Verizon (VZ) After Its Strong Year To Date Share Price Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon will present at the Deutsche Bank Media, Internet & Telecom conference on March 10 — an opportunity for management to update investors but not itself a catalyst. Verizon to speak at Deutsche Bank Media, Internet & Telecom Conference on March 10
• Negative Sentiment: A recent major network outage left hundreds of thousands of customers without service — this raises short‑term churn, reputational risk and could attract regulatory scrutiny if issues persist. AT&T vs. Verizon in 2026: Which Telecom Dividend Stock Is Actually Worth Owning?

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its stake 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 purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,426,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the period. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $257,000 after buying an additional 233 shares during the period. Triton Wealth Management PLLC increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $377,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hudock Inc. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 39,842 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,724,000 after buying an additional 238 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, 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 SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VZ has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target 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. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $49.02.

About Senator Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2031.

Whitehouse (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Rhode Island. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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.