Verizon Communications Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:VZ)

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders bought 109,463 call options on the company. This is an increase of 33% compared to the typical volume of 82,014 call options.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

NYSE:VZ traded up $3.74 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $43.55. The stock had a trading volume of 47,824,584 shares, compared to its average volume of 30,248,236. Verizon Communications has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $47.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $183.64 billion, a PE ratio of 9.28, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.55.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.31% and a net margin of 14.43%.Verizon Communications’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Verizon Communications Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.69 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. This represents a $2.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 58.97%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays began coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Verizon Communications from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $44.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $47.43.

Institutional Trading of Verizon Communications

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VZ. Cadinha & Co. LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 2,916.8% during the second quarter. Cadinha & Co. LLC now owns 347,716 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $15,046,000 after acquiring an additional 336,190 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 7,297,469 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $309,551,000 after purchasing an additional 722,559 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 378.7% during the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 93,732 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,120,000 after acquiring an additional 74,151 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 8.4% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 555,785 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $24,427,000 after acquiring an additional 43,116 shares during the period. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.8% in the third quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 2,762,705 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $121,421,000 after purchasing an additional 151,100 shares in the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on EPS and revenue — Verizon reported adjusted EPS of $1.09 vs. the ~$1.06 consensus and revenue of $36.38B, showing modest year-over-year revenue growth and margin resilience. This was the immediate catalyst lifting sentiment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Strong subscriber adds and upbeat guidance — Verizon posted its highest quarterly wireless subscriber additions since 2019 and guided to annual profit and FCF above market expectations, which supports upside to cash generation and dividend coverage. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management tone and market reaction — Analysts and press note the company’s optimistic 2026 outlook under the new CEO; pre-market and early-session coverage highlighted the beat and subscriber momentum as the primary reason the stock strengthened. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Deeper metric readouts and context — Analysts are parsing churn, ARPU trends, and the mix of promotions behind the net-adds; detailed metric comparisons vs. estimates and y/y figures will determine whether momentum is sustainable. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filings and conference materials available — Investors can review the press release, slide deck and call transcript for management’s assumptions on promotions, capital allocation and dividend stance. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target cut — Wells Fargo recently lowered its price target on Verizon after a sector reassessment, a reminder that analyst sentiment and targets remain mixed despite the beat. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend safety questions — With a near-7% yield, coverage articles are flagging dividend sustainability and the risk-reward for income investors; watch free cash flow and leverage guidance closely. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Minor institutional selling noted — A small stake reduction by Alpha Cubed was reported in a 13F filing; not large but worth noting as part of broader ownership moves. Read More.

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.