Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Stock Holdings Lifted by Summit Global Investments

Summit Global Investments grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 68.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 31,192 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,623 shares during the quarter. Summit Global Investments’ holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $1,431,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Gill Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 74.6% during the 2nd quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 620 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. Robinswood Financial LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 841 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Balance Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 32.7% in the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:VZ opened at $44.81 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $186.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.68 and a one year high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.63. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $47.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.73.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 26th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $34.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.77 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.75% and a net margin of 11.78%. Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.21 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 72.19%.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Better earnings and higher guidance: Verizon reported quarterly adjusted EPS of $1.31, above the $1.27 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 1.5% year over year. Growth in postpaid phone additions and broadband, lower promotional spending and margin expansion helped support an increase to the company’s 2026 outlook. Verizon raises 2026 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal remains strong: Verizon’s dividend yield is above 6%, the company has raised its payout for 20 consecutive years, and dividends consumed approximately 49% of recent free cash flow. This supports the view that the payout is financially sustainable despite Verizon’s substantial debt load. Verizon dividend analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and supplier investment: Freedom Broker upgraded VZ from “hold” to “buy” and raised its price target to $55. Separately, Verizon announced a $5 billion, five-year commitment to U.S. small-business suppliers, which could strengthen procurement relationships and support its network expansion ecosystem. Freedom Broker upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: SpaceX competition remains a long-term issue: Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said a fully competitive SpaceX wireless network could take years and require enormous investment. Verizon remains open to a Starlink partnership, but not one that would enable direct competition through Verizon’s infrastructure. Verizon CEO on Starlink partnership
• Negative Sentiment: Countervailing concerns: Several firms, including Barclays, Daiwa, Goldman Sachs and TD Cowen, lowered their price targets. Investors are also watching reports of declining phone upgrades, while CEO Kyle Malady’s recurring Rule 10b5-1 stock sales may weigh modestly on sentiment. Verizon phone upgrade trend

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.00, for a total value of $47,300.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 98,866 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,251,238. This represents a 1.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 11,000 shares of company stock valued at $516,373. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on VZ. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Scotiabank lowered their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $50.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.00 to $47.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $51.05.

Verizon Communications Profile

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and digital connectivity services. Through its consumer business, Verizon offers mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and other connected devices, home internet, fixed wireless access, and fiber-optic broadband services under the Fios brand.

Verizon also serves businesses, government agencies, and other organizations with wireless connectivity, private networks, internet and data services, managed communications, cloud and security solutions, and Internet of Things services.