Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Purchased by SBI Securities Co. Ltd.

SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 335,856 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,787 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $14,761,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in VZ. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,759,000 after purchasing an additional 16,704 shares in the last quarter. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. DMC Group LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 9.0% in the 2nd quarter. DMC Group LLC now owns 17,755 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $768,000 after buying an additional 1,463 shares in the last quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 23,379 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,012,000 after buying an additional 966 shares in the last quarter. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 57.1% during the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 2,437 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 886 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE VZ opened at $46.97 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $198.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.33. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $47.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a 50-day moving average of $40.64 and a 200-day moving average of $41.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue 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, equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company 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 6.0%. The ex-dividend date 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 currently 68.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on VZ shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $49.02.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and subscriber strength — Verizon posted a fourth‑quarter earnings and revenue beat and reported sizable wireless subscriber additions, which underpins near‑term revenue momentum and investor confidence. InsiderMonkey Q4/Subscriber Adds
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — multiple firms have raised price targets or ratings (Citigroup to $50 buy, Evercore/Scotiabank, JPMorgan raised) supporting upside expectations and helping buying interest. Citigroup PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and cost actions — management is executing cost savings, pursuing a $25B buyback program and recently increased the quarterly dividend, all of which bolster EPS and free‑cash‑flow outlook for 2026. Seeking Alpha: Momentum & Buyback
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage parsing valuation — pieces from Zacks and others are discussing whether the Q4 beat and yield justify repositioning into VZ; useful background but not an immediate catalyst. Zacks Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/flow influence — some of today’s move reflects the S&P 500 Communications Index and sector flows rather than pure company‑specific news. Kalkine Media
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reputational risk — Senator Maria Cantwell said Verizon (and AT&T) are blocking release of Salt Typhoon security assessment reports and requested CEOs testify before Congress, creating potential regulatory scrutiny and reputational risk. Reuters: Senator on Salt Typhoon
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/competitive escalation — Verizon filed a suit accusing T‑Mobile of false advertising over savings claims; this could intensify competitive spending on promotions and trigger legal costs or a public dispute. Reuters: Verizon sues T‑Mobile
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and margin concerns — an EVP disclosed a sizable share sale and analysts warn that heavy 5G/fiber investment, price‑lock dynamics and margin pressure could limit multiple expansion. SEC Form 4: Russo Sale

About Verizon Communications

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.