Greenberg Financial Group Purchases Shares of 14,499 Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Greenberg Financial Group purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 14,499 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $591,000.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. McLean Asset Management Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 8,571 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $355,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the period. Red Spruce Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 71,541 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,144,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. now owns 30,400 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,315,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 7,318 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $322,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centurion Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,490 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

NYSE:VZ opened at $47.98 on Thursday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $49.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The firm has a market cap of $202.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications’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. On average, analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.15%.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: High, rising dividend and yield support income buying — outlets note Verizon’s >5% yield and that the company continues to raise payouts, which attracts yield-focused investors and underpins downside. These Companies Pay 5% Dividend Yields, and They’re Hiking Them Too
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic actions (CEO cost cuts, $25B buyback authorization, Frontier acquisition expanding fiber) and guidance for rising free cash flow are cited as medium-term catalysts that support upside once macro sentiment stabilizes. The War Won’t Last Forever: 3 Stocks That Could Lead the Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimate tweak: Erste Group nudged FY2027 EPS forecasts slightly higher and maintains a bullish stance, a vote of confidence that can help sentiment among value investors and long-term holders.
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation / pullback analysis: Several outlets weigh whether the recent week/month pullback creates a buying opportunity given multi-year gains and a lower relative price — useful context for value-oriented traders deciding entry points. Is Verizon Communications (VZ) Offering An Opportunity After Recent Share Price Pullback?
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/marketing ruling: The National Advertising Division found Verizon’s disclosures around a promotional price increase to be adequate — removes a small regulatory/PR overhang but is unlikely to move the stock materially. In Fast-Track SWIFT Challenge, National Advertising Division Finds Verizon Wireless Pricing Disclosures Adequate
• Negative Sentiment: DBS Bank downgrade (Buy → Hold, $52 PT) signals some sell-side skepticism that the rally has priced in much of the near-term upside; such downgrades can prompt profit-taking. Verizon Cut to Hold at DBS Bank: Is the Telecom Giant Running Out of Upside?
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder proposals on board structure, climate oversight and ESG/DEI-linked pay have drawn proxy advisory scrutiny — governance fights can increase volatility and complicate investor sentiment into the AGM. Verizon Shareholder Push Raises Questions On Governance Climate Oversight And Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend durability debate: comparative pieces flag nuance versus peers (e.g., AT&T) and discuss potential pressures — the debate can unsettle some income investors and create selling pressure if concerns spread. Verizon vs. AT&T: One Telecom Dividend Is on Shaky Ground

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Barclays lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Verizon Communications news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. The trade was a 17.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.