Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC Acquires 27,055 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC increased its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 420,920 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 27,055 shares during the quarter. Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $17,144,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 49.1% during the 4th quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 92,670 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,774,000 after purchasing an additional 30,510 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 2,211,224 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $90,063,000 after purchasing an additional 119,300 shares in the last quarter. Columbia Asset Management increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Columbia Asset Management now owns 146,813 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $5,980,000 after purchasing an additional 2,199 shares in the last quarter. Hobbs Group Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $238,000. Finally, Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. now owns 7,285 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $297,000 after acquiring an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on VZ shares. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ opened at $45.96 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The company has a market cap of $192.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.35, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.29. The company’s 50 day moving average is $49.15 and its 200 day moving average is $43.76. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.88%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and previews highlight Verizon’s strategic drivers — the Frontier deal, continued 5G network investment and fiber expansion — which support revenue and margin improvement potential over time. Verizon to Report Q1 Earnings: How to Approach the Stock Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon has scheduled its Q1 2026 earnings webcast for Apr 27 (8:30 a.m. ET); investors will be listening for subscriber trends, service revenue, capex guidance and fiber progress. Verizon Communications Inc. Schedules First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Report and Webcast
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street estimate rundowns are available — analysts are parsing subscriber metrics and non?GAAP drivers beyond headline EPS to set expectations for the report. Curious about Verizon (VZ) Q1 Performance? Explore Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus on the broader telecom group — AT&T’s mixed Q1 showing (revenue beat but weak wireless revenue) keeps competitive dynamics in view for pricing and churn. Stock Market Today, April 22: AT&T Edges Upwards on Mixed Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: A Blue Origin launch issue led AST SpaceMobile shares sharply lower; any delays or setbacks for satellite partners could slow direct?to?device initiatives that might affect Verizon’s satellite-related plans or timing. AST SpaceMobile Drops 15% After Blue Origin Satellite Mishap (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: CEO comments warning about rapid AI adoption’s labor/economic risks have drawn attention to potential demand and regulatory implications, adding uncertainty to longer?term outlook discussions. Verizon CEO AI Warning Puts Job Risks And Valuation In Focus
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling and large institutional position reductions (noted in filings) can amplify downward pressure or signal cautious positioning ahead of the print. Verizon Communications Inc. Schedules First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Report and Webcast

Verizon Communications Company 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.