Rhumbline Advisers Cuts Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Rhumbline Advisers decreased its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 0.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,896,312 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 22,768 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers’ holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $347,043,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Krilogy Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 9.4% during the 3rd quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 15,670 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $689,000 after purchasing an additional 1,342 shares during the last quarter. Signet Investment Advisory Group Inc. increased its position in Verizon Communications by 20.0% during the 3rd quarter. Signet Investment Advisory Group Inc. now owns 6,000 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $264,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 14.0% in the third quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 11,043 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $485,000 after buying an additional 1,355 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 14.0% in the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 379,174 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $16,665,000 after acquiring an additional 46,699 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.4% during the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 37,157 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,633,000 after acquiring an additional 1,918 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $47.37 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $199.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.70, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.33. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $41.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.79. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $47.79.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.10 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue 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. Analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current 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 given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.15%.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upbeat 2026 guidance — Verizon reported better-than-expected Q4 revenue and EPS, flagged a pickup in net additions and raised forward-looking targets (including FY26 EPS guidance near $4.95), which helped reframe the company’s growth outlook. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts nudging valuations higher — RBC and other analysts raised price targets after the Q4 results (RBC to $48), reflecting improved confidence in the turnaround and prompting renewed buy-side interest. RBC Capital Raises its Price Target on Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) to $48
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend yield and institutional demand support total-return case — Coverage notes Verizon’s ~6% yield and strong institutional buying, positioning the stock as a high-yield value play with upside if execution continues. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: Value-stock narratives gaining traction — Zacks/MSN pieces highlight Verizon’s attractive valuation metrics (low P/E, stable cash flow) and rate it as a long-term value buy, which can attract income and value-focused funds. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is “reworking the story” — Coverage suggests the narrative is shifting from a defensive telecom to a growth/turnaround story under new leadership; the re-rating may continue but depends on follow-through. Looking At The Verizon Communications (VZ) Narrative As Wall Street Reworks The Story
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and margin risks — Analysts caution margins are under pressure from marketing and accelerated 5G build-out; continued spending or weaker pricing could blunt the recovery and dividend support. Investors should watch execution on network investment and pricing discipline. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight

Analyst Ratings Changes

VZ has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Evercore lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their target price on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.02.

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.