Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock Unloaded Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

Posted by Logan Wallace on Mar 7th, 2026

Verizon Communications logo Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic-Rhode Island) recently sold shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ). In a filing disclosed on March 06th, the Senator disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Verizon Communications stock on February 23rd.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also recently made the following trade(s):

Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) on 2/23/2026.
Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Mastercard (NYSE:MA) on 2/23/2026.
Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) on 2/23/2026.
Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) on 1/9/2026.
Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 1/9/2026.
Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) on 1/9/2026.
Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) on 1/9/2026.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $51.17 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $44.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $42.62. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $51.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $215.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.63, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.31.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The business had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on VZ. Barclays started coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price target for the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.02.

View Our Latest Report on Verizon Communications

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other 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 sale, 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. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,759,000 after buying an additional 16,704 shares in the last quarter. United Bank increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.5% during the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $339,000 after acquiring an additional 806 shares during the last quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 16.4% during the second quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC now owns 18,035 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $780,000 after acquiring an additional 2,535 shares during the period. ROI Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the second quarter worth $436,000. Finally, Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 46.5% in the second quarter. Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. now owns 24,752 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,071,000 after purchasing an additional 7,854 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Verizon Communications News

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

Positive Sentiment: Verizon showcased a 5G + edge computing proof?of?concept for vehicle?to?everything (V2X) with Aptiv and Wind River at MWC — a practical demo that highlights potential enterprise/edge revenue and differentiates Verizon’s network capabilities. Verizon Weighs V2X Growth Opportunities Against Sponsorship Cost Controls
Positive Sentiment: Management is reviewing large sponsorship deals (including the NFL partnership) as part of cost controls — cutting hundreds of millions in marketing/sponsorship spend could improve margins and free cash flow if executed. Verizon (VZ) Reviewing NFL Partnership and Other Sponsorship Deals to Cut Costs
Positive Sentiment: Analyst pieces point to durable operational momentum — subscriber gains, broadband growth and AI/telematics initiatives alongside recent quarterly beats and FY26 guidance underpin the stock’s strong YTD performance and support dividend coverage. Verizon Shares Rise 19.4% in a Year: Should You Invest Now?
Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is asking whether Verizon is fairly valued after a strong year?to?date run — this could prompt profit?taking or re?ratings but is not a company action. Is It Time To Reassess Verizon (VZ) After Its Strong Year To Date Share Price Run?
Neutral Sentiment: Verizon will present at the Deutsche Bank Media, Internet & Telecom conference on March 10 — an opportunity for management to update investors but not itself a catalyst. Verizon to speak at Deutsche Bank Media, Internet & Telecom Conference on March 10
Negative Sentiment: A recent major network outage left hundreds of thousands of customers without service — this raises short?term churn, reputational risk and could attract regulatory scrutiny if issues persist. AT&T vs. Verizon in 2026: Which Telecom Dividend Stock Is Actually Worth Owning?

About Senator Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2031.

Whitehouse (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Rhode Island. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

About Verizon Communications

(Get Free Report)

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.