Brindle & Bay Financial Advisors LLC Purchases Shares of 18,263 Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Brindle & Bay Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 18,263 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $744,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on VZ shares. Dbs Bank cut Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

NYSE:VZ opened at $46.46 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $49.06 and a 200-day moving average of $43.84. The company has a market capitalization of $194.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.47, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 69.88%.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon expanded its Frontline Network Slice to laptops, tablets and smartphones, improving dedicated, prioritized 5G connectivity for first responders — a move that can win higher-margin public‑safety contracts and differentiate Verizon’s enterprise offerings. Verizon Frontline Network Slice available for laptops, tablets and smartphones nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is deploying advanced 5G and fiber for FIFA World Cup 2026 venues and surrounding communities and has expanded its 5G network slicing for FirstNet and frontline use—moves that raise service pricing power at large events and for critical customers. How Verizon’s Expanded 5G Network Slicing and World Cup Buildout Could Impact Verizon Communications (VZ) Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Legal win: a federal judge granted Verizon a preliminary injunction blocking certain T‑Mobile ad claims about >$1,000 savings for switchers — reduces competitive marketing pressure and could protect Verizon’s subscriber stability and churn. Verizon (VZ) Wins an Injunction Prohibiting T-Mobile’s Ad Campaign Promising Significant Savings
• Neutral Sentiment: Market move: recent sessions showed a modest uptick in VZ shares as broader markets dipped — short-term price action rather than new fundamentals. Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Income narrative remains a driver for investors: articles highlight Verizon’s steady ~4%+ yield and option/dividend strategies for cash generation — supports interest from income-focused holders but doesn’t move fundamentals. AT&T vs. Verizon vs. T-Mobile: Why This 4.4% Yield Is the Steadiest Bet in Telecom.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term risk: investors are cautious ahead of Verizon’s Q1 earnings (reporting next week); analysts cite the Frontier deal integration, fiber capex needs, and intense wireless competition as headwinds that could limit upside. Verizon to Report Q1 Earnings: How to Approach the Stock Now?

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the 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 sale, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.