Diversified Trust Co. Sells 90,484 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Diversified Trust Co. decreased its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 80.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 22,137 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 90,484 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $902,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the second quarter valued at about $2,504,150,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after buying an additional 7,276,809 shares during the period. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 51.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,512,228 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $637,812,000 after buying an additional 4,905,101 shares during the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 21.5% during the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 21,159,040 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $915,552,000 after buying an additional 3,743,892 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $161,346,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

NYSE:VZ opened at $50.70 on Friday. 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 Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $43.22. The company has a market capitalization of $213.82 billion, a PE ratio of 12.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.31.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued 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 quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.15%.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fractus patent settlement removes a lingering legal overhang, lowering litigation risk and clarifying cash‑flow expectations for Verizon. Fractus and Verizon settle patent litigation
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs and other analysts have raised price targets/issued upgrades, signaling institutional confidence and supporting short‑term upside. Verizon Receives a Vote of Confidence as Goldman Sachs Raises Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have nudged fair‑value estimates modestly higher (example: an update to about $50.76), reflecting improved visibility on costs and subscriber trends. How The Verizon (VZ) Investment Story Is Shifting On Costs Transparency And Fair Value Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Recent retail/investor writeups (MSN/Yahoo) highlight a bullish thesis around valuation (low trailing/forward P/E) and steady dividend profile, attracting buy interest. Is Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage noted a small pullback in recent sessions, reflecting normal volatility as investors digest mixed signals rather than a new fundamental shift. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on investor reaction to the Fractus settlement suggests the deal improves the risk profile but doesn’t materially change Verizon’s growth story. How Investors May Respond To Verizon (VZ) Settling Fractus Patent Dispute And Easing Legal Overhang
• Negative Sentiment: AT&T’s rollout of 5G coverage in NYC subway tunnels (with partners) is a competitive threat in dense urban markets that could pressure share gains and subscriber adds if it yields a clear customer advantage. AT&T 5G Powers New York’s Subway Connectivity: Will it Drive Revenues?
• Negative Sentiment: Reports on aggressive pricing and loyalty risks at rival carriers amplify the risk of promotional cycles that could pressure ARPU and churn. AT&T puts loyalty at risk with stern warning to customers

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Evercore lifted their price target 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. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.32.

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.