Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Acquired by Diversify Advisory Services LLC

Diversify Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 134,683 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,366 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $5,919,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 0.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 373,904,749 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $16,433,114,000 after buying an additional 1,117,733 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 208,213,255 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,009,388,000 after acquiring an additional 4,205,449 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 100,326,792 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,322,700,000 after acquiring an additional 1,101,504 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,504,150,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 21.5% in the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 21,159,040 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $915,552,000 after purchasing an additional 3,743,892 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $51.17 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $44.40 and a 200-day moving average of $42.59. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The firm has a market cap of $215.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.30. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.41.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The business had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

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

Key Verizon Communications News

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?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VZ has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Williams Trading set a $54.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.02.

Verizon Communications 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.