Mcdonald Partners LLC Cuts Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Mcdonald Partners LLC lessened its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 34.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,969 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 12,177 shares during the quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $936,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Montag A & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 28,287 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,152,000 after buying an additional 505 shares during the period. AlphaStar Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 23.2% in the 4th quarter. AlphaStar Capital Management LLC now owns 36,296 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,478,000 after buying an additional 6,844 shares during the period. Legacy Edge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at $230,000. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 66,875 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $2,724,000 after buying an additional 1,225 shares during the period. Finally, Dudley Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Dudley Capital Management LLC now owns 30,701 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,250,000 after buying an additional 450 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on VZ shares. Erste Group Bank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Dbs Bank downgraded Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $48.17 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $201.37 billion, a PE ratio of 11.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $48.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.03.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business’s revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 in the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines 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.