KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Has $90.06 Million Stake in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 5.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,211,224 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 119,300 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $90,063,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of VZ. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,759,000 after buying an additional 16,704 shares during the period. United Bank lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.5% during the 2nd 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 period. Jump Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 312.0% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 17,901 shares during the period. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,779,000 after acquiring an additional 6,034 shares during the period. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $389,000 after acquiring an additional 443 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on VZ. Evercore boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. William Blair upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.56.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Partnerships in space-based connectivity reinforce Verizon’s growth optionality beyond core wireless — AST SpaceMobile remains a strategic partner, which supports Verizon’s potential to expand coverage and new services over time. AST SpaceMobile Drops 15% After Blue Origin Satellite Mishap
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and regional investor notes highlight Verizon’s balance-sheet stability and defensive cash flows, which support its dividend and make VZ a defensive play in telecom markets. Verizon Shows Strong Stability
• Neutral Sentiment: Outlook and near-term earnings expectations are mixed — some previews show expected EPS growth but warn Verizon may lack the setup for a clear earnings “beat,” leaving investors cautious ahead of future reports. Verizon Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman’s public warnings about mass job losses from rapid AI adoption have raised investor concerns about macro demand, potential regulatory scrutiny, and reputational risk — comments have drawn headlines that can dampen sentiment and boost short-term volatility. Verizon CEO AI Warning Puts Job Risks And Valuation In Focus Verizon’s Dan Schulman Tells CEOs to Be Open About AI Job Cuts

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $46.31 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $193.55 billion, a PE ratio of 11.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.29. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $43.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. 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 results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total transaction of $429,905.52. Following the sale, 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.