World Investment Advisors Has $19 Million Stake in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

World Investment Advisors increased its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 23.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 466,396 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 89,826 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $18,996,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the director directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon launched debt exchange and tender offers to streamline its balance sheet, which could reduce complexity and improve financial flexibility over time. Verizon Launches Note Exchange Offers to Streamline Debt
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s recent debt moves follow the Frontier Communications deal and include new hybrid bond issuance, signaling active capital structure management rather than a change in core operations. Verizon Debt Moves Reshape Capital Structure And Investor Risk Profile
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon remains in focus with analysts and investors, but the coverage is mostly style-score and attention driven rather than tied to a new fundamental catalyst. Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top-Ranked Growth Stock: Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary flagged Verizon as one of the communication-services names under pressure in a rising-rate environment, since its dividend appeal can weaken versus short-term Treasuries. Verizon
• Negative Sentiment: Verizon also announced targeted layoffs, reinforcing the view that the company is still working through cost cuts and operating restructuring. Verizon CEO cuts to the chase on new layoffs and AI future

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $47.98 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $200.35 billion, a PE ratio of 11.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.24. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $48.69 and its 200-day moving average is $44.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current year.

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.