Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Shares Gap Down Following Insider Selling

Posted by Stanley Muller on Oct 23rd, 2026

Verizon Communications logo Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report)’s share price gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday following insider selling activity. The stock had previously closed at $44.54, but opened at $43.00. Verizon Communications shares last traded at $43.7420, with a volume of 3,927,078 shares traded.

Specifically, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.48, for a total value of $48,928.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 99,966 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,446,487.68. This represents a 1.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on VZ. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.80.

Get Our Latest Analysis on VZ

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

Positive Sentiment: Verizon enters its October 26 earnings report with potential support from strong customer metrics, fiber expansion and an attractive valuation. Analysts expect third-quarter EPS of about $1.27, with subscriber additions, churn and broadband growth likely to be key catalysts. Verizon earnings outlook
Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s quarterly dividend remains an important attraction for income-focused investors, with an annualized payout of $2.83 and a yield of roughly 6.5%. Institutional ownership and recent purchases by major asset managers also provide some support. Verizon dividend and ownership data
Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein maintained a “Hold” rating, consistent with the broader analyst consensus. The average price target remains above recent trading levels, but analysts continue to see a balanced risk-reward profile rather than a clear near-term catalyst. Bernstein maintains Hold rating
Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares for approximately $48,928 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction reduced his direct holdings by only about 1.09%, limiting its significance as a signal of management’s outlook. SEC insider filing
Negative Sentiment: SpaceX’s spectrum deal is clouding the wireless outlook. Investors fear Starlink could intensify competition, pressure pricing and reduce the importance of Verizon’s near-term earnings beat. High debt and competitive pressure from AT&T and T-Mobile add to the risk. SpaceX spectrum deal and Verizon

Verizon Communications Stock Up 3.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $187.61 billion, a PE ratio of 8.93, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.26. The business has a 50 day moving average of $47.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $46.66.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.22 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.70%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 6.2% in the second quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 3,568 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $151,000 after buying an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 4.3% in the first quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,338 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Manchester Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.6% during the second quarter. Manchester Financial Inc. now owns 34,924 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,479,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 32.7% during the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 888 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FAS Wealth Partners Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.2% during the first quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 18,421 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $925,000 after acquiring an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

About Verizon Communications

(Get Free Report)

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and digital connectivity services. Through its consumer business, Verizon offers mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and other connected devices, home internet, fixed wireless access, and fiber-optic broadband services under the Fios brand.

Verizon also serves businesses, government agencies, and other organizations with wireless connectivity, private networks, internet and data services, managed communications, cloud and security solutions, and Internet of Things services.