CGN Advisors LLC Acquires Shares of 37,790 Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

CGN Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 37,790 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,539,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of VZ. GK Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Verizon Communications by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. GK Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,466 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $426,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Grant Private Wealth Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Grant Private Wealth Management Inc now owns 21,521 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $877,000 after buying an additional 1,403 shares during the last quarter. Mirova grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 51.9% in the 3rd quarter. Mirova now owns 68,534 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,012,000 after buying an additional 23,405 shares in the last quarter. AIA Group Ltd grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 109.4% in the 3rd quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 329,564 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $14,484,000 after buying an additional 172,212 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keel Point LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 7.8% in the third quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 29,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,308,000 after buying an additional 2,148 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of VZ stock opened at $50.08 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.67. The company has a market cap of $211.24 billion, a PE ratio of 12.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The business’s 50 day moving average is $46.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.04.

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

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.15%.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on VZ to $55 and initiated/maintained a “buy” stance, signaling analyst conviction and providing upside guidance that likely supported buying interest earlier in the session. Citigroup raises VZ price target to $55
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a piece highlighting Verizon as a “strong momentum stock” using its style scores, which can attract momentum and quant-focused buyers. Here’s Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative coverage (AT&T vs. Verizon) discusses 5G and fiber growth and valuation differences — useful for investors evaluating sector allocation and relative upside but not a direct catalyst. AT&T vs. Verizon: Which Telecom Stock Has Better Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also published an AT&T vs. Verizon comparison with similar takeaways on network investment and valuation trade-offs — helpful context for longer-term positioning. AT&T vs. Verizon: Which Telecom Stock Has Better Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor-focused reviews and primers (e.g., The Motley Fool) reiterate VZ’s scale, heavy capex and leverage profile — factors that support stable cash flow and dividends but cap upside for some investors. Verizon Stock in 2026: What Every Investor Needs to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of a new dividend-focused ETF and broader yield plays is peripheral but can influence income-seeking flows into telecom stocks like VZ. You Already Own SCHD. This New ETF Pays Twice the Yield With One Simple Swap
• Negative Sentiment: UBS moved VZ to a “hold,” a more cautious stance that can temper upside and weigh on sentiment among more conservative institutional holders. Verizon (VZ) Gets a Hold from UBS
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks noted a recent intraday decline in VZ’s share price in prior sessions, a reminder that short-term volatility has been present despite recent analyst support. Verizon Communications (VZ) Declines More Than Market

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VZ. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Evercore upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $48.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.32.

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

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

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.