Jefferson Bridge Capital LLC Makes New $884,000 Investment in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Jefferson Bridge Capital LLC purchased a new position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 21,700 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $884,000.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 373,904,749 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $16,433,114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,117,733 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after purchasing an additional 7,276,809 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.2% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 45,265,695 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,989,427,000 after purchasing an additional 557,576 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.5% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 28,188,066 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,238,866,000 after purchasing an additional 1,203,445 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.9% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 22,592,460 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $992,939,000 after purchasing an additional 646,537 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $48.57 on Wednesday. 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 Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $48.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.54. The company has a market cap of $204.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.99, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. The firm’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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is 69.88%.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the 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 directly owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on VZ shares. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Williams Trading set a $54.00 price objective on Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated 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, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.56.

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.