Swedbank AB boosted its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 4.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,204,230 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 339,167 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $293,428,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after buying an additional 7,276,809 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $15,453,058,000 after acquiring an additional 5,497,598 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 51.1% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,512,228 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $637,812,000 after acquiring an additional 4,905,101 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at approximately $161,346,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Verizon Communications by 50.4% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,848,766 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $385,983,000 after purchasing an additional 2,965,033 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.
Key Verizon Communications News
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Expanded 5G Frontline network slice broadens mission?critical addressable market (first responders, more devices), reinforcing Verizon’s push into higher?value public?sector and enterprise use cases. Verizon Extends 5G Frontline Access As Valuation Gap Draws Attention
- Positive Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains constructive — “Moderate Buy” consensus from brokerages supports upside expectations from the street. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst takeaways from Verizon’s Q1 call highlighted improved postpaid phone adds, lower acquisition/retention costs and management’s shift toward durable recurring revenue — factors that underpinned the recent positive market reaction to results. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon’s Q1 Earnings Call
- Positive Sentiment: Value investors are being reminded of Verizon’s attractively low multiple and steady dividend (high yield vs. peers), which supports long?term buy arguments amid modest growth. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
- Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating — a neutral stance that suggests limited near?term catalyst from this particular analyst action. Finviz
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces comparing Verizon’s dividend to peers (e.g., Nike) highlight Verizon’s strong adjusted earnings growth and yield — useful for income investors but not an immediate stock catalyst. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling (roughly US$12m sold over the past year) can signal management/insider hesitancy and weighs on sentiment for some investors. Verizon Communications Insiders Sold US$12m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation debate persists: some analysts view VZ as cheap on multiples but raise structural concerns (mix shift, secular wireless trends), which can cap multiple expansion. Verizon Stock: Cheap Multiple, Complicated Story
Verizon Communications Stock Performance
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current year.
Analyst Ratings Changes
VZ has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on 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, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.59.
Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications
In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
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.
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