TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. Cuts Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lowered its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 7.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 905,359 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 68,204 shares during the quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $36,893,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of VZ. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 215,490,064 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,470,788,000 after buying an additional 7,276,809 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 51.1% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,512,228 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $637,812,000 after buying an additional 4,905,101 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at about $161,346,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 50.4% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,848,766 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $385,983,000 after buying an additional 2,965,033 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Credit Agricole S A acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at about $76,631,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:VZ opened at $46.60 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The business’s 50 day moving average is $49.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.71. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.39 and a 52 week high of $51.68. The company has a market cap of $194.77 billion, a PE ratio of 11.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.29.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released 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. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.88%.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon secured the Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor role for FIFA World Cup 2026, positioning its 5G, fixed wireless access and broadcast solutions to showcase capabilities on a global stage — a high-visibility commercial win that could drive enterprise deals and consumer adoption. Verizon to Power Unforgettable Fan Experiences at the FIFA World Cup 2026™
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and trade press note the sponsorship could highlight Verizon’s 5G and fiber strengths and open new revenue/enterprise opportunities tied to large live events and media services. VZ to Boost Fan Experience at FIFA World Cup: Will it Drive Prospects?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor-focused pieces highlight resilient cash flow, a rich dividend and a new $25B share-repurchase authorization through 2028 — factors that support shareholder returns and underpin buy-side interest. Verizon: A Strong Buy Due To Its Resilient Cash Flow And Stable Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Additional analysis argues Verizon is entering a reversal-to-growth phase with disciplined capex and M&A that could lift medium-term earnings, keeping VZ on buy lists despite recent run-ups. Verizon: Reversal To Growth, Temper Expectations Entering Q1, Still A Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an equal-weight rating and a $49 price target (roughly mid-single-digit upside), signaling modest upside relative to risk — a neutral-to-cautious take from a large sell-side firm.
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC reiterated a hold rating, keeping expectations muted among some traditional telecom analysts. RBC Capital Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Verizon (VZ)
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market strength provided support for equities yesterday, but sector/stock-specific drivers (sponsorship, buybacks, guidance) remain the primary determinants for VZ’s moves. Stock Market News for Apr 17, 2026

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Verizon Communications news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 approximately $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% 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 quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on VZ. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. 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. Oppenheimer increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Evercore increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.56.

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.