Waverly Advisors LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Waverly Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 2.6% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 560,776 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,261 shares during the quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $23,743,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Robinswood Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the first quarter worth $28,000. Gill Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 74.6% in the second quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 620 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors increased its position in Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the 4th quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.50, for a total transaction of $55,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 107,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,437,133. This represents a 1.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,300 shares of company stock valued at $164,164. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ opened at $50.40 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $209.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.12, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $46.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.50. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The company’s revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon signed a multibillion-dollar supply agreement with Corning for high-density optical fiber running through 2032. The commitment is intended to expand broadband access and strengthen infrastructure for rising AI-related data traffic, providing greater long-term visibility for Verizon’s network buildout. Verizon signs optical fiber deal with Corning to expand broadband, support AI growth
• Positive Sentiment: The agreement reportedly covers approximately 80 million miles of fiber and could help Verizon meet growing demand for consumer broadband, business connectivity and converged services. Investors may view the deal as supporting customer growth and reinforcing Verizon’s competitive position in infrastructure tied to AI demand. Verizon Just Locked In 80 Million Miles of Fiber Through 2032
• Neutral Sentiment: The deal’s strategic benefits are clear, but the articles do not disclose its precise financial terms. Verizon will likely need to commit substantial capital and operating resources, so the effect on margins, free cash flow and returns will depend on execution and broadband subscriber growth. Verizon, Corning Reach Multi-Billion Dollar Agreement for Broadband Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary points to investors rotating away from defensive, high-yield telecommunications stocks after Verizon’s strong run. Brokerages maintain a consensus “Hold” recommendation, suggesting much of the recent recovery may already be reflected in the share price. Shift Away from Defensive Plays Hits Verizon Communications

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on VZ shares. TD Cowen increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.97.

Verizon Communications Company Profile

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related technology services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, 5G connectivity, fixed wireless access, fiber-optic internet through Verizon Fios, home services, and connected-device solutions.

Through Verizon Business, the company serves enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations with communications networks, managed connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud and edge-computing services, unified communications, and Internet of Things solutions.