Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Sold by TD Asset Management Inc

TD Asset Management Inc lowered its position in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 6.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,948,039 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 186,537 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $129,566,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Verizon Communications during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,504,150,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 372,787,016 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $16,130,494,000 after acquiring an additional 4,615,075 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 2.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 208,213,255 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $9,009,388,000 after purchasing an additional 4,205,449 shares during the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 21.5% in the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 21,159,040 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $915,552,000 after purchasing an additional 3,743,892 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 4,274.6% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,917,508 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $82,971,000 after purchasing an additional 1,873,675 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Barclays began coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.25 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.02.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Aduna announced it has CAMARA-compliant nationwide network API agreements with U.S. carriers — including backing from Verizon — which could expand Verizon’s channel for selling network intelligence services and strengthen enterprise/wholesale revenue prospects. Aduna Reaches Milestone as a Leading Provider of U.S. Network APIs
• Positive Sentiment: Management will speak at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference on March 2 — a live investor forum where Verizon can provide updated guidance, 5G/commercial progress, or capital allocation signals that can move the stock on any new detail. Verizon to speak at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 2
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst write-ups and momentum pieces have nudged fair-value models slightly higher and highlighted Verizon’s improving 2026 estimates and dividend appeal, supporting investor interest after a strong month of gains. How The Verizon Communications (VZ) Investment Narrative Is Shifting As Analysts Rework Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s presentation transcript from the Barclays Communications & Content Symposium provides operational detail but contained no headline surprises — useful for investors but not an immediate catalyst. Verizon Presents at Barclays Symposium (Transcript)
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage (Zacks, Forbes, 247WallSt) continues to profile Verizon as a momentum/dividend pick; these stories reinforce retail interest but are incremental rather than market-moving. Buy Or Sell Verizon Stock At $50?
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose sharply in February — up ~34.8% to ~148.3M shares (≈3.5% of float) — increasing potential downward pressure and volatility if bearish sentiment persists or if additional catalysts emerge. (Short-interest data reported 2/13/26)
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/regulatory risk is active: an amici brief asking the Supreme Court to require jury trials in FCC enforcement cases keeps potential fines and compliance exposure in play; outcomes could materially affect future regulatory penalties or timelines. NCLA Asks Supreme Court to Safeguard Jury Trial Rights in FCC Penalty Enforcement Cases

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VZ opened at $49.26 on Thursday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a one year low of $38.39 and a one year high of $50.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $207.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.16, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $42.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $42.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion for 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 business’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is 68.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.