NewEdge Advisors LLC Has $37.67 Million Stake in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 12.2% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 889,596 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 96,688 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $37,666,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. USS Investment Management Ltd increased its position in Verizon Communications by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 713,156 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $35,790,000 after acquiring an additional 31,354 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc. lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the second quarter. Cornerstone Capital Inc. now owns 317,284 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $13,434,000 after purchasing an additional 25,156 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 15.3% during the fourth quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 2,382,975 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $97,059,000 after purchasing an additional 316,854 shares in the last quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 127.0% during the second quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 184,170 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $7,798,000 after purchasing an additional 103,046 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keudell Morrison Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,171,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $49.70 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $46.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.39 and a 52-week high of $51.68. The stock has a market cap of $206.48 billion, a PE ratio of 12.94, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.26.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Investors 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 yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is currently 73.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.97.

More Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon agreed to secure more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber from Corning through 2032. The supply should support expansion toward 40 million–50 million broadband passings, strengthen fiber-and-wireless bundles, and provide capacity for AI-related data-center connections. Verizon signs optical fiber deal with Corning to expand broadband, support AI growth
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman said Verizon has seen “zero discernible impact” on broadband growth from low-Earth-orbit providers such as Starlink, easing concerns that satellite broadband will quickly erode Verizon’s fixed-line opportunity. Verizon Waves Off Starlink, Bets On Cities And Old Phone Buildings
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, unchanged from the prior quarter. The payout reinforces its income appeal but provides no new dividend-growth catalyst. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on September 9, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The relatively small transaction reduces its signaling value, though insider selling can add modest investor caution.
• Negative Sentiment: The broader shift away from defensive plays is weighing on Verizon as investors favor higher-growth sectors. The stock’s proximity to its 52-week high may also encourage profit-taking, while the fiber agreement requires significant investment and is not expected to begin delivering volume until 2027. Shift Away from Defensive Plays Hits Verizon Communications

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Verizon Communications news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total value of $54,978.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 106,566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,326,168.68. This represents a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 4,400 shares of company stock valued at $219,142 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related technology services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, 5G connectivity, fixed wireless access, fiber-optic internet through Verizon Fios, home services, and connected-device solutions.

Through Verizon Business, the company serves enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations with communications networks, managed connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud and edge-computing services, unified communications, and Internet of Things solutions.