Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) CEO Sells $50,325.00 in Stock

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.75, for a total value of $50,325.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 102,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,674,094.50. This represents a 1.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Kyle Malady also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, September 29th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.40, for a total transaction of $51,040.00.
• On Tuesday, September 22nd, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.65, for a total transaction of $52,415.00.
• On Tuesday, September 8th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total transaction of $54,978.00.
• On Tuesday, September 1st, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.50, for a total transaction of $55,550.00.
• On Tuesday, August 25th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total transaction of $55,066.00.
• On Tuesday, August 18th, Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total transaction of $53,548.00.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ stock opened at $41.72 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.07. The company has a market capitalization of $173.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%. The firm had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.8%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.70%.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank lowered its Verizon price target to $50 from $51.50 but maintained a “sector outperform” rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent levels. Scotiabank Cuts Verizon Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s quarterly dividend remains $0.7075 per share, or $2.83 annualized, producing an approximately 6% yield. Its latest reported earnings also exceeded analyst expectations, although revenue was below consensus.
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s next earnings report is expected on October 26. Investors will focus on wireless service revenue, subscriber additions, broadband growth and management’s response to emerging satellite-based competition. Verizon Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX agreed to acquire a nationwide portfolio of low-band 800 MHz spectrum from Grain Management. The deal could allow Starlink Mobile to combine satellite coverage with terrestrial wireless service, creating a more direct competitor to Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. SpaceX Network Plans Pressure Telecom Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: The FCC’s authorization for SpaceX to launch as many as 15,000 direct-to-phone satellites, combined with Elon Musk’s claims of sharply higher bandwidth, increased investor concerns that Verizon’s network advantage could weaken over time. Starlink Mobile Bandwidth Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank’s target reduction and broader analyst commentary point to higher disruption risk, while Verizon’s debt load and intense wireless competition remain additional concerns. CEO Kyle Malady’s small, pre-arranged sale of 1,100 shares is a minor negative signal but is unlikely to be the primary driver.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 3,568 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $151,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the period. RKL Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.3% in the first quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $268,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Manchester Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.6% in the second quarter. Manchester Financial Inc. now owns 34,924 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,479,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $113,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VZ. Moffett Nathanson reduced their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 20th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Scotiabank cut their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $50.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.80.

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company headquartered in New York City and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VZ. The company was formed in 2000 through the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE and has developed into one of the largest communications providers in the United States.

Verizon’s consumer business provides wireless voice and data services, smartphones and other connected devices, home internet, broadband, and related communications products.