Cibc World Market Inc. Acquires 172,740 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Cibc World Market Inc. raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,066,121 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 172,740 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $90,806,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hudock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.6% in the second quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 39,842 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,724,000 after acquiring an additional 238 shares during the period. McLean Asset Management Corp raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 71,541 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,144,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. Camden National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Camden National Bank now owns 5,666 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $245,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FRG Family Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. FRG Family Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 14,517 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $628,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $47.37 on Wednesday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $47.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $199.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.70, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.33. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $41.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

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

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 68.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Verizon Communications news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business’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 sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. The trade was a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VZ. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Barclays initiated coverage on Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. Scotiabank upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.02.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upbeat 2026 guidance — Verizon reported better-than-expected Q4 revenue and EPS, flagged a pickup in net additions and raised forward-looking targets (including FY26 EPS guidance near $4.95), which helped reframe the company’s growth outlook. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts nudging valuations higher — RBC and other analysts raised price targets after the Q4 results (RBC to $48), reflecting improved confidence in the turnaround and prompting renewed buy-side interest. RBC Capital Raises its Price Target on Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) to $48
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend yield and institutional demand support total-return case — Coverage notes Verizon’s ~6% yield and strong institutional buying, positioning the stock as a high-yield value play with upside if execution continues. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: Value-stock narratives gaining traction — Zacks/MSN pieces highlight Verizon’s attractive valuation metrics (low P/E, stable cash flow) and rate it as a long-term value buy, which can attract income and value-focused funds. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is “reworking the story” — Coverage suggests the narrative is shifting from a defensive telecom to a growth/turnaround story under new leadership; the re-rating may continue but depends on follow-through. Looking At The Verizon Communications (VZ) Narrative As Wall Street Reworks The Story
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and margin risks — Analysts caution margins are under pressure from marketing and accelerated 5G build-out; continued spending or weaker pricing could blunt the recovery and dividend support. Investors should watch execution on network investment and pricing discipline. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight

About Verizon Communications

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.