National Pension Service Acquires 129,613 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

National Pension Service raised its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,714,909 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 129,613 shares during the period. National Pension Service’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $453,669,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VZ. Gill Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 74.6% in the 2nd quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 620 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Robinswood Financial LLC bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new position in Verizon Communications during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors boosted its position in Verizon Communications by 173.0% during the fourth quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors now owns 707 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Verizon Communications in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon agreed to secure more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber from Corning through 2032. The supply should support expansion toward 40 million–50 million broadband passings, strengthen fiber-and-wireless bundles, and provide capacity for AI-related data-center connections. Verizon signs optical fiber deal with Corning to expand broadband, support AI growth
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman said Verizon has seen “zero discernible impact” on broadband growth from low-Earth-orbit providers such as Starlink, easing concerns that satellite broadband will quickly erode Verizon’s fixed-line opportunity. Verizon Waves Off Starlink, Bets On Cities And Old Phone Buildings
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon declared a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share, unchanged from the prior quarter. The payout reinforces its income appeal but provides no new dividend-growth catalyst. Verizon declares quarterly dividend on September 9, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The relatively small transaction reduces its signaling value, though insider selling can add modest investor caution.
• Negative Sentiment: The broader shift away from defensive plays is weighing on Verizon as investors favor higher-growth sectors. The stock’s proximity to its 52-week high may also encourage profit-taking, while the fiber agreement requires significant investment and is not expected to begin delivering volume until 2027. Shift Away from Defensive Plays Hits Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $49.70 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $46.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.51. The company has a market cap of $206.48 billion, a PE ratio of 12.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.26. Verizon Communications Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.16 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.22 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VZ has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Verizon Communications currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.97.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total transaction of $54,978.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 106,566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,326,168.68. The trade was a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 4,400 shares of company stock worth $219,142. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications Profile

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related technology services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, 5G connectivity, fixed wireless access, fiber-optic internet through Verizon Fios, home services, and connected-device solutions.

Through Verizon Business, the company serves enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations with communications networks, managed connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud and edge-computing services, unified communications, and Internet of Things solutions.