Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Bought by MGB Wealth Management LLC

MGB Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 177.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,362 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,030 shares during the period. MGB Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $895,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VZ. TruNorth Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the 3rd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its position 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 valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 52.4% during the second quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 782 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of VZ opened at $48.90 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $50.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $206.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.33. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $43.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $42.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued 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. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue 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. Sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore boosted their price target 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. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.02.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon closed its Frontier asset acquisition and rolled out a transformation plan targeting several billion dollars in annual cost savings while integrating industry‑wide APIs via Aduna—moves that should expand fiber scale and improve margins. Verizon Reshapes Fiber, Costs And Enterprise Services With Frontier And Aduna
• Positive Sentiment: Aduna reached a milestone securing CAMARA‑compliant U.S. network API coverage with backing from AT&T, T‑Mobile and Verizon, strengthening Verizon’s ability to sell standardized network intelligence to large enterprises. Aduna Reaches Milestone as a Leading Provider of U.S. Network APIs
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and outlets continue to highlight Verizon as a value/momentum/dividend name given recent performance, steady cash flow and yield — supporting investor interest from income and value buyers. Here’s Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Strong Value Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Industry reports highlight a growing 5G smart‑stadium and venue market where Verizon is listed among key players — reinforcing long‑term demand for Verizon’s 5G and edge services. Fifth Generation (5G)-Powered Smart Stadiums Analysis Report 2026-2035
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman will speak at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference on March 2; the webcast could prompt volatility or new guidance commentary but is not expected to change fundamentals by itself. Verizon to speak at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 2
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes show modest analyst target‑price tweaks (around $49–$50), reflecting slight recalibration rather than a consensus re‑rating. How The Verizon Communications (VZ) Investment Narrative Is Shifting As Analysts Rework Price Targets
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~34.8% in mid‑February to ~148.3M shares (~3.5% of float), increasing potential selling pressure and amplifying downside risk if momentum or headlines flip negative. (Short‑interest data reported 2/25/2026)

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Verizon Communications Company 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.