Kyle Malady Sells 1,100 Shares of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Stock

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.68, for a total value of $53,548.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 109,866 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,348,276.88. This represents a 0.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ opened at $49.25 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The company has a market cap of $204.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.83, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.25. The company’s 50 day moving average is $45.50 and its 200 day moving average is $47.27. 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 earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.16 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 73.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on VZ. TD Cowen upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Moffett Nathanson reduced their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 20th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.84.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after buying an additional 5,497,598 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,080,810,000 after buying an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,747,930,000 after acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,168,080,000 after acquiring an additional 867,694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 15.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,117,471,000 after acquiring an additional 8,289,877 shares in the last quarter. 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: Verizon announced plans to redeem $1.25 billion of 5.329% notes due in 2028 on September 21, 2026. Retiring the debt could reduce future interest expense and improve the company’s debt profile, although the redemption will require cash. Verizon to redeem debt securities on September 21, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon’s greater focus on fiber following its Frontier acquisition could support broadband subscriber growth, expand network scale and strengthen its competitive position over time. Verizon Leans Into Fiber After the Frontier Close
• Positive Sentiment: Income investors continue to find Verizon attractive because of its approximately 5.7% dividend yield and established dividend history. Recent quarterly earnings also exceeded EPS expectations by $0.03, while fiscal 2026 EPS guidance remains $4.99 to $5.04.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares worth $53,548 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The sale reduced his position by less than 1% and is unlikely to materially affect the investment case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains balanced: Verizon has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $50.84, close to its recent trading range.
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Verizon’s final appeal of a $47 million FCC fine related to customer location-data practices. The ruling ends Verizon’s effort to recover the penalty and highlights continuing privacy and regulatory-compliance risks. Verizon Loses Final Supreme Court Appeal Over $47 Million FCC Fine
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation commentary argues that VZ may be trading above estimated fair value, while its high leverage, low liquidity ratios and declining revenue remain concerns. Quarterly revenue fell 0.7% year over year and missed consensus estimates, limiting the upside case.

Verizon Communications Company 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.