Directional Asset Management Invests $626,000 in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Directional Asset Management acquired a new position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 15,360 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $626,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VZ. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,470,788,000 after acquiring an additional 7,276,809 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 51.1% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,512,228 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $637,812,000 after acquiring an additional 4,905,101 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter worth $161,346,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 50.4% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,848,766 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $385,983,000 after purchasing an additional 2,965,033 shares during the period. Finally, Credit Agricole S A bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the third quarter worth $76,631,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon expanded its Frontline Network Slice to compatible laptops, tablets and smartphones, strengthening its value proposition for government and first‑responder contracts and differentiating its enterprise/resiliency offerings. Verizon Frontline Network Slice available for laptops, tablets and smartphones nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Verizon’s high dividend yield and defensive income profile keeps income‑oriented buyers interested; analysts and dividend investors view VZ as a steady telecom income play. AT&T vs. Verizon vs. T-Mobile: Why This 4.4% Yield Is the Steadiest Bet in Telecom.
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon set its Q1 2026 earnings date for April 27 (webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET); the upcoming report is the main near‑term catalyst and likely explains some of today’s positioning. Verizon to report first-quarter earnings on April 27, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings commentary and preview pieces are weighing Frontier deal progress, 5G and fiber expansion as positives while noting rising competition could cap near‑term upside—this feeds mixed expectations into the tape. Verizon to Report Q1 Earnings: How to Approach the Stock Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market headlines noting VZ rose while broader indices dipped signal relative defensive demand rather than company‑specific surprise. Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Negative Sentiment: Recent data show insider selling activity and large institutional reductions by some asset managers in recent quarters; heavy insider sales and notable fund exits can weigh on sentiment and put pressure on the stock if they continue. Verizon Communications Inc. Schedules First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Report and Webcast
• Negative Sentiment: Satellite and space‑based cellular developments (AST SpaceMobile) are drawing regulatory approvals and industry attention; these could represent longer‑term competitive or partner‑risk dynamics for terrestrial carriers, and recent launch hiccups add uncertainty to any partnership timelines. FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Commercial Authority to Deliver Direct-to-Device Cellular Broadband from Space

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Erste Group Bank raised Verizon Communications from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Barclays raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of VZ stock opened at $47.23 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $197.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.68. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $49.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. 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 6.0%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.88%.

Verizon Communications 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.