Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. Grows Stock Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 16.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 553,242 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 78,669 shares during the period. Harvest Portfolios Group Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $22,534,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its holdings in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. The trade was a 16.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon said it added postpaid phone customers for the first time since 2013, while broadband growth and the Frontier deal are helping retention and supporting the consumer segment. VZ Gains From Solid Traction in the Consumer Segment: Will it Sustain?
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon is being highlighted as an attractive undervalued dividend stock, reinforcing its appeal for income-oriented investors. Is Verizon Communications (VZ) One of the Top 12 Undervalued Dividend Stocks to Buy Now?
• Positive Sentiment: The FCC approved Verizon’s spectrum-related move, and the company is also part of a new satellite-based mobile coverage initiative that could help reduce dead zones and improve network reach over time. T-Mobile US Joins Rivals On Satellite Push To Extend Coverage Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s annual Data Breach Investigations Report drew broad media attention, but it is mainly a research publication and not a direct business catalyst for the stock. AI-related data breaches surpass stolen credentials in cyber incidents, Verizon report says
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with AT&T and valuation-focused commentary are keeping Verizon in the spotlight, but these pieces mostly reinforce the company’s steady revenue profile rather than adding a new fundamental catalyst. AT&T vs Verizon. One of These Telecoms Has Raised Its Dividend 20 Straight Times and the Market Is Finally Noticing
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary continues to flag Verizon as a potentially risky Dow stock, reflecting lingering concerns about growth and the telecom sector’s maturity. 3 Dow Jones Stocks We Find Risky

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on VZ shares. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

VZ opened at $47.77 on Wednesday. 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 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $48.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.62. The company has a market capitalization of $199.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.65, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.24.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The business had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.