Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 171.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 110,559 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after purchasing an additional 69,780 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $4,503,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of VZ. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 61.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 43,986 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,759,000 after purchasing an additional 16,704 shares during the last quarter. United Bank increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 11.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,843 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 806 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 312.0% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 23,639 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 17,901 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 17.2% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,121 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $1,779,000 after purchasing an additional 6,034 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.2% in the second quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,993 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $389,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

NYSE:VZ opened at $47.98 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.64. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The firm has a market cap of $200.35 billion, a PE ratio of 11.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.24. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $48.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $44.35.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Williams Trading set a $54.00 target price on Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Evercore upped their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon announced tender offers, exchange offers, and consent solicitations for multiple series of notes, a move that could help streamline debt, reduce financing complexity, and support long-term balance sheet management. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Verizon as a top-ranked growth stock and noted that the company continues to draw investor attention, which can reinforce the view that the stock remains attractive on valuation and fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent articles focus on Verizon’s status as a watched name and on broader commentary about its investment story, suggesting steady market interest rather than a clear new catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Verizon’s ongoing layoffs and AI-related restructuring may improve efficiency over time, but they also signal that management is still working through a major cost-reset and transition period. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary flagged Verizon as one of the communication-services names most exposed to rising rates, since its dividend becomes less competitive versus Treasuries and investors may rotate away from telecom income stocks. Article Title

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Verizon Communications 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.