Cane Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 19,220 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $783,000.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VZ. V2 Financial group LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. V2 Financial group LLC now owns 15,393 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $627,000 after acquiring an additional 776 shares during the period. M. Kraus & Co boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 21.1% during the 4th quarter. M. Kraus & Co now owns 64,630 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $2,632,000 after acquiring an additional 11,242 shares during the period. MBL Wealth LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 57.9% during the 4th quarter. MBL Wealth LLC now owns 20,316 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $827,000 after acquiring an additional 7,453 shares during the period. Mayport LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth about $218,000. Finally, Winthrop Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 18.1% during the 4th quarter. Winthrop Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,998 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $287,000 after acquiring an additional 1,071 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.
More Verizon Communications News
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend, buyback and restructuring tailwinds support shareholder value: analysts and commentators highlight Verizon’s large dividend yield, a $25B buyback program, CEO-led $9B cost reductions and the Frontier acquisition that boosts fiber reach — factors that underpin the stock’s defensive appeal to income investors. The War Won’t Last Forever: 3 Stocks That Could Lead the Recovery
- Positive Sentiment: Value/income narrative: market coverage groups list VZ among “discount” or baby‑boomer favorite stocks because of its >5% yield, low forward P/E and recent operational wins (postpaid adds, modest revenue growth), supporting the case for long‑term income buyers. 5 Baby Boomer Stock Favorites Now Trading at a Discount
- Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term growth opportunities in automotive connectivity: research notes Verizon’s 5G, V2X and automaker partnerships as a potential growth avenue, but benefits are gradual and not an immediate stock catalyst. Can Verizon’s Strong Automotive Connectivity Solutions Drive Growth?
- Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming Q1 earnings and guidance cadence are watch points: analysts expect single‑digit earnings growth and management commentary on 5G/fiber monetization and free cash flow will drive near‑term sentiment. What to Expect From Verizon Communications’ Q1 2026 Earnings Report
- Neutral Sentiment: Apollo/Yahoo refinancing note is mostly peripheral to Verizon (Yahoo was sold in 2021), so it has limited direct impact on VZ fundamentals. Apollo-backed Yahoo kicks off talks on US$1.6 billion refinancing
- Negative Sentiment: Shareholder proposals and governance scrutiny could create proxy friction and distract management: proposals on board structure, climate oversight and ESG‑linked pay drew opposition from Verizon but raise investor governance risk ahead of the annual meeting. Verizon Shareholder Push Raises Questions On Governance Climate Oversight And Valuation
- Negative Sentiment: Near‑term sector/macro pressure and reported price weakness: coverage noting VZ’s decline despite broader market gains and sector weakness (geopolitical risk, rising oil and rotation away from premium wireless) are pressuring the stock in the short term. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note
Verizon Communications Stock Down 1.2%
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $36.38 billion during 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 revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect 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 issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.88%.
Insider Activity
In other news, 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 transaction of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities research analysts have commented on VZ shares. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.56.
View Our Latest Stock Report on VZ
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.
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