28,659 Shares in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Acquired by J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 28,659 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,167,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% in the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares during the period. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 52.4% in the 2nd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 782 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company momentum and income appeal: Analysts and commentators note Verizon is up strongly year-to-date after a solid quarter and remains attractive to income investors because its dividend yields above 5%, supporting demand from yield-seeking buyers. Verizon Is Up 24% in 2026 and Pays Over 5% in Dividends: Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Operational catalyst: Barclays says Q1 should show progress on Verizon’s subscriber-turnaround plan, which could support the stock if results and commentary confirm improving subscriber trends. Verizon Q1 results to show progress on subscriber turnaround plan – Barclays
• Positive Sentiment: Dow income rotation: Market write-ups listing high-yield Dow names highlight Verizon as a top income option, which can attract defensive and dividend-focused flows during choppy markets. Should You Buy the 3 Highest-Paying Dividend Stocks in the Dow Jones?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst move is mixed: Barclays raised its price target to $47 from $43 but kept an Equal Weight rating — a modest upgrade that still implies limited upside versus the current price, so it’s not a clear buy signal. Wall Street Tells Scared Investors To Buy Verizon Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention: Verizon is a trending name on some platforms, increasing visibility and trading activity but not necessarily changing fundamentals. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market context: Some market movers (e.g., energy names like Chevron) are driving headline volatility today; that market noise can overshadow telecom-specific news and affect intraday moves. In A Dreadful Month For The Dow Jones Index, One Stock Shined
• Negative Sentiment: Relative weakness today: Coverage notes Verizon closed lower while the broader market improved, signaling short-term underperformance that likely pressured the stock during the session. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Verizon Communications news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on VZ shares. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ stock opened at $49.39 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $43.40. The company has a market capitalization of $208.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.20, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week 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, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.15%.

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.