Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Trading Down 1.5% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) dropped 1.5% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $45.04 and last traded at $45.3620. Approximately 32,784,201 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the average daily volume of 31,584,719 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.04.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal — Multiple personal finance outlets continue to include VZ among high-yield, blue?chip picks for building income streams, which supports baseline demand from income investors. Four Tickers That Turn $1 Million Into $60,000 of Annual Income
• Positive Sentiment: Recommended in dividend roundups — VZ is also featured in articles about building six?figure and multi?thousand passive income portfolios, reinforcing its positioning as a reliable dividend name for long?term income investors. Build a Six Figure Dividend Stream With Four Blue Chip Names and $2 Million
• Neutral Sentiment: General market coverage — Several market summaries note recent share weakness and call attention to upcoming earnings (late April), prompting higher search interest; these items are informational and may increase short?term volatility around the report. Should You Buy Verizon Communications Stock Before April 27?
• Negative Sentiment: Seven straight sessions of decline — Coverage highlights that shares have fallen for multiple consecutive sessions, reflecting sustained selling pressure and negative momentum. Verizon Communications shares decline for the seventh consecutive session
• Negative Sentiment: Governance activism and analyst caution — Analysts and news analysis point to shareholder groups pressing governance and climate oversight ahead of the May annual meeting, plus recent downgrades and insider activity that have weighed on sentiment. This is a catalyst for near?term downside risk until shareholder votes and analyst views clear. A Look At Verizon Communications (VZ) Valuation As Governance Activism And Analyst Downgrades Shape Sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Recent trading notes — Market summaries report daily share slides and increased attention as the stock underperforms broader markets, adding to short-term downside pressure ahead of earnings. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on VZ. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $49.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $43.65. The company has a market cap of $189.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.29. 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 released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. 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 presently 69.88%.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated 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 $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VZ. Old North State Trust LLC boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Old North State Trust LLC now owns 46,962 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,913,000 after purchasing an additional 770 shares during the period. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $154,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,807,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 31.6% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,693,602 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $109,710,000 after purchasing an additional 647,230 shares during the period. Finally, World Investment Advisors boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 23.9% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 466,396 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $18,996,000 after purchasing an additional 89,826 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.