RIA Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 148,786 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $6,539,000. Verizon Communications accounts for 1.7% of RIA Advisory Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding.
Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates grew its position in Verizon Communications by 739.5% in the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners raised its stake in Verizon Communications by 52.4% during the 2nd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 782 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 269 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.
Key Verizon Communications News
Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
- Positive Sentiment: J.P. Morgan says near-term earnings headwinds are being offset by Verizon’s strategic fiber expansion, which supports medium-term growth prospects and helps justify a Hold rating. This highlights durable capital allocation toward higher-margin fiber that could underpin stable cash flow. Verizon Communications: Near-Term Earnings Headwinds Offset by Strategic Fiber Expansion, Justifying a Hold Rating
- Neutral Sentiment: New federal legislation (H.R.7752, the Kelsey Smith Act) would tighten requirements for emergency disclosure of device location data. Verizon may need process and systems updates; financial impact is unclear and likely limited to compliance costs unless the law changes operator liability or timelines materially. New Bill: Representative Derek Schmidt introduces H.R. 7752: Kelsey Smith Act
- Neutral Sentiment: Sector Q4 benchmarking pieces review Verizon’s recent results in context of wireless/cable peers. Useful for investors comparing execution and margins, but the writeup is largely descriptive rather than introducing new catalysts. Consumer Discretionary – Wireless, Cable and Satellite Stocks Q4 Results: Benchmarking Verizon (NYSE:VZ)
- Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc criticized Verizon’s new reporting structure (starting in Q1) as investor-unfriendly and said the disclosures reduce modeling transparency—this can increase uncertainty among quant and income investors who rely on detailed segment metrics. Reduced visibility often weighs on multiples for dividend-oriented stocks. KeyBanc Flags Verizon’s (VZ) New Reporting Structure as Investor-Unfriendly
- Negative Sentiment: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has questioned Verizon over recent layoffs and prior tax benefits, drawing political and reputational scrutiny that could bring regulatory or PR risk. That attention can pressure the stock if it prompts investigations or forces changes to workforce/cost plans. Verizon Faces Warren Scrutiny On Layoffs As Valuation Gap Draws Focus
- Negative Sentiment: A market note flagged Verizon’s share decline (larger than the market) in the latest session, reflecting investor reaction to the combined signals above (mixed analyst views, disclosure changes, and political scrutiny). Short-term sentiment appears negative as traders reprice uncertainty. Verizon Communications (VZ) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
Verizon Communications Trading Down 2.0%
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for 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%.Verizon Communications’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 68.15%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on VZ shares. Scotiabank raised Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $50.25 to $54.50 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given 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 $50.03.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on VZ
Insider Activity
In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
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.
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