State of Michigan Retirement System Lowers Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

State of Michigan Retirement System decreased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 28.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,267,550 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 506,000 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $55,709,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Advantage Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 549.5% in the 2nd quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 591 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 305 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% in the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 599 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 52.4% in the second quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 782 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on VZ shares. Citigroup upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Evercore upped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.02.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

NYSE VZ opened at $46.32 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $40.87 and its 200 day moving average is $41.75. 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 $47.58. The company has a market capitalization of $195.30 billion, a PE ratio of 11.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.33.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is currently 68.15%.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst upgrades and bullish notes lifted momentum and helped extend the rally, with coverage citing higher target prices and “buy”/outperform views that attracted short‑term buyers. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Price Up 1.6% After Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Income investors are re‑rating Verizon because it appears on multiple recent lists of high‑yield dividend picks, supporting steady demand from dividend/seeking portfolios. 3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Perfect For Retirees
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted VZ as a top‑ranked momentum stock under its style scores — this can draw quant/momentum flows but doesn’t guarantee fundamental change. Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top-Ranked Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of AST SpaceMobile and its 2026 launch targets (a partner/adjacent play for telecoms) is being watched for potential upside exposure, but execution risks keep this as an uncertain catalyst. Can SpaceX Rival AST SpaceMobile Meet Its 2026 Launch Targets? (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon’s consumer‑unit CEO Sowmyanarayan Sampath is stepping down amid a companywide turnaround under new CEO Dan Schulman — management turnover raises near‑term execution and strategy questions for the core wireless business. Verizon’s Consumer Unit CEO Sowmyanarayan Sampath to Step Down
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon filed suit accusing T‑Mobile of false advertising — the legal fight could be a distraction and pose litigation costs, though it may also be intended to blunt competitive messaging. Verizon Wireless sues T-Mobile, alleges false advertising

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Verizon Communications Profile

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.