Strs Ohio Sells 38,544 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Strs Ohio cut its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,259,087 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 38,544 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $92,013,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cascade Financial Partners LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the third quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 7,318 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $322,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. Monetary Management Group Inc. grew its position in Verizon Communications by 0.8% during the second quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. now owns 30,400 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,315,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the third quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 5,035 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $221,000 after buying an additional 255 shares during the period. Hager Investment Management Services LLC grew its position in Verizon Communications by 26.2% during the third quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, Western Financial Corp CA grew its position in Verizon Communications by 1.4% during the third quarter. Western Financial Corp CA now owns 18,522 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $814,000 after buying an additional 258 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ stock opened at $48.17 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $48.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $44.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.64. The company has a market capitalization of $201.37 billion, a PE ratio of 11.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the company’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 sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares in the company, 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. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VZ has been the subject of several recent research reports. Evercore boosted their target price 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. William Blair raised shares of Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.59.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 surprise and subscriber momentum — Verizon reported an EPS beat and posted first-quarter postpaid phone subscriber gains, which investors view as evidence the turnaround is gaining traction; that momentum is being cited in valuation write-ups and helped lift sentiment. A Look At Verizon (VZ) Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings And Subscriber Turnaround
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target bump — JPMorgan raised its VZ price target from $49 to $52 (while keeping a neutral rating), signaling incremental upside in analyst expectations and providing a short-term technical catalyst. JPMorgan raises VZ price target
• Positive Sentiment: Partner/network recognition — Verizon’s partner Cydcor won Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year award, reinforcing channel strength and sales execution at the retail/agent level. Cydcor Earns Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year Award
• Neutral Sentiment: Trending attention / retail interest — Zacks and other outlets note increased user interest in VZ; trending status can boost volume and volatility but is not a guarantee of sustained direction. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Adjacency to growth markets — Verizon is listed among players in industry reports (e.g., video telematics), indicating optionality beyond consumer wireless if execution in enterprise/commercial products scales. North America and Europe Video Telematics Market Research Report 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from T?Mobile — comparisons and service/perk analyses highlight T?Mobile’s strengths and its broadband expansion, which could pressure pricing and share in both wireless and home broadband segments. T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Which Big Phone Carrier Works Best for You?
• Negative Sentiment: T?Mobile’s broadband blitz — T?Mobile’s capital-efficient push into broadband is described as a direct challenge to incumbents and could create longer-term margin and market-share pressure for Verizon. T-Mobile’s Broadband Blitz Puts Cable on Notice (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Debt and income-investor risk — commentary (e.g., The Motley Fool) flags rising leverage after the Frontier acquisition as a potential “time bomb” for income investors, which could limit upside multiple expansion and increase sensitivity to interest rates. The Ticking Time Bomb That Could Force Income Investors to Sell Verizon Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Minor analyst EPS trim — Erste Group slightly cut FY2027 EPS estimates for Verizon, a small reminder that forecasts remain sensitive to revenue mix and legacy/merger-related costs. Erste Group trims VZ FY2027 EPS estimate

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.