Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Shares Bought by Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc.

Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 28.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 49,966 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,072 shares during the quarter. Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $2,196,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 373,904,749 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $16,433,114,000 after buying an additional 1,117,733 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 208,213,255 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,009,388,000 after acquiring an additional 4,205,449 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 100,326,792 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $4,322,700,000 after purchasing an additional 1,101,504 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,504,150,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 21.5% during the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 21,159,040 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $915,552,000 after purchasing an additional 3,743,892 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on VZ shares. Citigroup increased their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, January 26th. 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. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.02.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VZ opened at $49.26 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $207.78 billion, a PE ratio of 12.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.33. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.39 and a 1-year high of $50.47. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $42.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $42.28.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The business had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given 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 is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications’s payout ratio is presently 68.15%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the sale, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Aduna — Verizon is a named equity backer of Aduna, which now claims CAMARA-compliant network-API coverage across the U.S.; this strengthens Verizon’s ability to monetize network intelligence and partner in API-based data services. Aduna Reaches Milestone as a Leading Provider of U.S. Network APIs
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley conference — CEO Dan Schulman will speak at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference on March 2 (webcast available), which gives management a forum to reinforce execution, guidance and 5G / monetization narrative to investors. Verizon to speak at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 2
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend / income appeal — multiple outlet lists continue to show Verizon as a high-yield, lower-volatility choice for income investors, supporting demand from yield-focused holders. 5 Very Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks Boomers Can Hold Forever
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage tone mixed — recent pieces recalibrating fair value targets and calling Verizon a momentum/value pick keep expectations balanced; some firms nudge targets up while others trim. How The Verizon Communications (VZ) Investment Narrative Is Shifting As Analysts Rework Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary and presentations — recent Barclays presentation transcript and sector write-ups highlight Verizon’s 5G positioning vs. peers but contain no new concrete catalysts. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Presents at Barclays Communications and Content Symposium 2026 Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Related industry news — AST SpaceMobile’s government contract and other satellite/wholesale plays may affect partnership opportunities indirectly but are not direct Verizon fundamentals. AST SpaceMobile Jumps 9% After Government Contract Announcement (VZ)
• Negative Sentiment: Rising short interest — short interest jumped ~34.8% in February to ~148.3M shares (~3.5% of float), signaling increased bearish bets that can amplify downside on weak headlines or technical flows. (Source: short-interest report)
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/regulatory risk — an amici brief urging the Supreme Court to require jury trials for FCC enforcement (involving AT&T and Verizon cases) could increase litigation uncertainty and potential costs if penalties must be tried before juries. NCLA Asks Supreme Court to Safeguard Jury Trial Rights in FCC Penalty Enforcement Cases

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.