IFG Advisory LLC Buys 14,669 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

IFG Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 12.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 132,957 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 14,669 shares during the quarter. IFG Advisory LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $5,843,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Hudock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.6% during the second quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 39,842 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,724,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 8,571 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $355,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the period. Red Spruce Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 0.3% during the third quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 71,541 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,144,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Camden National Bank grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the second quarter. Camden National Bank now owns 5,666 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $245,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. Finally, Cascade Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 7,318 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $322,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

NYSE VZ opened at $51.20 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $43.97 and its 200-day moving average is $42.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The company has a market capitalization of $215.95 billion, a PE ratio of 12.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.31. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.41.

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

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.5%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.88%.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon showcased a vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) proof‑of‑concept at MWC Barcelona with Aptiv and Wind River that used its 5G + edge compute platform to share real‑time sensor data between cars — a concrete example of how Verizon’s network could create new enterprise revenue streams in connected‑vehicle services. V2X Trial Article
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamentals and capital returns remain supportive: Verizon beat EPS estimates in its latest quarter, set FY2026 guidance of $4.90–4.95, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (5.6% yield), which underpins income investor demand. MarketBeat Earnings & Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say Verizon recently considered pulling back on its NFL sponsorship deal — may reflect cost/marketing reprioritization but outcome and financial impact are unclear. MSN NFL Sponsorship Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media attention: Zacks notes VZ as a highly watched stock and provides a fresh take for investors weighing value vs. growth; coverage can drive short‑term flows but contains no new company guidance. Zacks Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noted AST SpaceMobile’s big revenue beat; any direct benefit to Verizon is speculative but it keeps space‑based cellular themes in the newsflow. AST SpaceMobile Story
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market weakness tied to U.S.‑Iran escalation fears pressured major indexes — a macro headwind that can weigh on VZ despite defensive characteristics. Market Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Mary‑Lee Stillwell disclosed a sale of 8,569 shares at about $50 — a routine liquidity event but one that can nudge short‑term sentiment lower. SEC Filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on VZ shares. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price target on Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays started coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Evercore boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $49.02.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company’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 transaction of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.