M. Kraus & Co Raises Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

M. Kraus & Co grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 21.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 64,630 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,242 shares during the period. Verizon Communications makes up approximately 0.7% of M. Kraus & Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. M. Kraus & Co’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $2,632,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VZ. TruNorth Capital Management LLC grew its position 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 purchasing an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates grew its position in Verizon Communications by 739.5% in the third 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company’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 transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Citigroup lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Scotiabank upgraded Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price target on Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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. Finally, William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $48.57 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $204.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $48.93 and a 200 day moving average of $43.54.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter 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, 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is currently 69.88%.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend, buyback and restructuring tailwinds support shareholder value: analysts and commentators highlight Verizon’s large dividend yield, a $25B buyback program, CEO-led $9B cost reductions and the Frontier acquisition that boosts fiber reach — factors that underpin the stock’s defensive appeal to income investors. The War Won’t Last Forever: 3 Stocks That Could Lead the Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: Value/income narrative: market coverage groups list VZ among “discount” or baby‑boomer favorite stocks because of its >5% yield, low forward P/E and recent operational wins (postpaid adds, modest revenue growth), supporting the case for long‑term income buyers. 5 Baby Boomer Stock Favorites Now Trading at a Discount
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term growth opportunities in automotive connectivity: research notes Verizon’s 5G, V2X and automaker partnerships as a potential growth avenue, but benefits are gradual and not an immediate stock catalyst. Can Verizon’s Strong Automotive Connectivity Solutions Drive Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming Q1 earnings and guidance cadence are watch points: analysts expect single‑digit earnings growth and management commentary on 5G/fiber monetization and free cash flow will drive near‑term sentiment. What to Expect From Verizon Communications’ Q1 2026 Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Apollo/Yahoo refinancing note is mostly peripheral to Verizon (Yahoo was sold in 2021), so it has limited direct impact on VZ fundamentals. Apollo-backed Yahoo kicks off talks on US$1.6 billion refinancing
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder proposals and governance scrutiny could create proxy friction and distract management: proposals on board structure, climate oversight and ESG‑linked pay drew opposition from Verizon but raise investor governance risk ahead of the annual meeting. Verizon Shareholder Push Raises Questions On Governance Climate Oversight And Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term sector/macro pressure and reported price weakness: coverage noting VZ’s decline despite broader market gains and sector weakness (geopolitical risk, rising oil and rotation away from premium wireless) are pressuring the stock in the short term. Verizon Communications (VZ) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

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.