Pensionfund Sabic Takes Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Pensionfund Sabic 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 52,900 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $2,155,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. McLean Asset Management Corp raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2.9% in the third quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 8,571 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $355,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% during the third quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 71,541 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,144,000 after buying an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 7,318 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $322,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. now owns 30,400 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,315,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centurion Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,490 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $285,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Momentum + buyback: Market commentary highlights Verizon’s Q4 beat, best postpaid net adds in years, a $25B buyback and a 5.5% yield — catalysts cited for the year‑to‑date rally and improved investor sentiment. 2 Mega-Cap Stocks Worth Your Attention and 1 We Turn Down
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell ~16% in March to ~95.3M shares (2.3% of float) and a days‑to‑cover near 3.8 — lessening immediate downside pressure from short squeezes and supporting the uptrend.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media endorsements: A recent price target raise to $55 and multiple buy/coverage pieces argue Verizon can run further given improved free cash flow and the income trade into high‑yield names. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Raised to $55.00
• Positive Sentiment: Inclusion in high‑yield defensive lists: Several outlet roundups feature VZ as a defensive, high‑yield option (20‑year dividend growth streak), which helps attract income‑focused flows amid market volatility. 5 High-Yield Stocks to Shield Your Portfolio From the Storm (VZ)
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer engagement initiatives (FIFA World Cup ticket promotions) are marketing wins that may modestly help churn/ARPU but have limited near‑term earnings impact. All the ways Verizon customers can win free tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026™
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro backdrop: With rate‑cut hopes fading, investors are rotating into high‑yield, defensive names — a structural tailwind for VZ but dependent on broader market direction. Interest Rate Cut Hopes Are Over: Buy These Safe 5% High Yield Kings Now
• Negative Sentiment: Business segment pressure: Analysts note dips in business‑segment revenue amid rising costs and competitive pressure; success depends on execution of 5G/enterprise initiatives — a medium‑term risk to margins and growth. Can Verizon’s Business Segment Portfolio Generate Future Profit?

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $50.91 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $46.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $214.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.57, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.31. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 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. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is currently 68.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on VZ. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Evercore boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.32.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the transaction, 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 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 worth $10,780,356 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% 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.