Cibc World Market Inc. Buys 172,740 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Cibc World Market Inc. raised its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,066,121 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 172,740 shares during the quarter. Cibc World Market Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $90,806,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of VZ. Hudock Inc. raised its position in Verizon Communications by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 39,842 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,724,000 after buying an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 8,571 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $355,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% in the third quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 71,541 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $3,144,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Camden National Bank lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 4.6% during the second quarter. Camden National Bank now owns 5,666 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $245,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FRG Family Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 1.8% during the second quarter. FRG Family Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 14,517 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $628,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on VZ. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, January 26th. William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Williams Trading set a $54.00 target price on Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.02.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Verizon Communications stock opened at $47.37 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $41.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.79. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $47.79. The company has a market cap of $199.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.70, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.33. 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 (NYSE:VZ) last released its 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. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The business had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.10 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. This is an increase from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.15%.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upbeat 2026 guidance — Verizon reported better-than-expected Q4 revenue and EPS, flagged a pickup in net additions and raised forward-looking targets (including FY26 EPS guidance near $4.95), which helped reframe the company’s growth outlook. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts nudging valuations higher — RBC and other analysts raised price targets after the Q4 results (RBC to $48), reflecting improved confidence in the turnaround and prompting renewed buy-side interest. RBC Capital Raises its Price Target on Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) to $48
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend yield and institutional demand support total-return case — Coverage notes Verizon’s ~6% yield and strong institutional buying, positioning the stock as a high-yield value play with upside if execution continues. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: Value-stock narratives gaining traction — Zacks/MSN pieces highlight Verizon’s attractive valuation metrics (low P/E, stable cash flow) and rate it as a long-term value buy, which can attract income and value-focused funds. Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is “reworking the story” — Coverage suggests the narrative is shifting from a defensive telecom to a growth/turnaround story under new leadership; the re-rating may continue but depends on follow-through. Looking At The Verizon Communications (VZ) Narrative As Wall Street Reworks The Story
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and margin risks — Analysts caution margins are under pressure from marketing and accelerated 5G build-out; continued spending or weaker pricing could blunt the recovery and dividend support. Investors should watch execution on network investment and pricing discipline. Verizon: Your Total Return Leader for 2026 Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Verizon Communications news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,976,739.60. This represents a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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.