Directional Asset Management Purchases New Shares in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Directional Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 15,360 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock, valued at approximately $626,000.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon expanded its Frontline Network Slice to compatible laptops, tablets and smartphones, strengthening its value proposition for government and first‑responder contracts and differentiating its enterprise/resiliency offerings. Verizon Frontline Network Slice available for laptops, tablets and smartphones nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Verizon’s high dividend yield and defensive income profile keeps income‑oriented buyers interested; analysts and dividend investors view VZ as a steady telecom income play. AT&T vs. Verizon vs. T-Mobile: Why This 4.4% Yield Is the Steadiest Bet in Telecom.
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon set its Q1 2026 earnings date for April 27 (webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET); the upcoming report is the main near‑term catalyst and likely explains some of today’s positioning. Verizon to report first-quarter earnings on April 27, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings commentary and preview pieces are weighing Frontier deal progress, 5G and fiber expansion as positives while noting rising competition could cap near‑term upside—this feeds mixed expectations into the tape. Verizon to Report Q1 Earnings: How to Approach the Stock Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market headlines noting VZ rose while broader indices dipped signal relative defensive demand rather than company‑specific surprise. Verizon Communications (VZ) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Negative Sentiment: Recent data show insider selling activity and large institutional reductions by some asset managers in recent quarters; heavy insider sales and notable fund exits can weigh on sentiment and put pressure on the stock if they continue. Verizon Communications Inc. Schedules First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Report and Webcast
• Negative Sentiment: Satellite and space‑based cellular developments (AST SpaceMobile) are drawing regulatory approvals and industry attention; these could represent longer‑term competitive or partner‑risk dynamics for terrestrial carriers, and recent launch hiccups add uncertainty to any partnership timelines. FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Commercial Authority to Deliver Direct-to-Device Cellular Broadband from Space

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on VZ. Weiss Ratings raised Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Erste Group Bank raised Verizon Communications from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.56.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $47.23 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $49.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.79. 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 firm has a market cap of $197.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.66, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 69.88%.

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.