Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. Buys Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) Stock

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (Democratic-California) recently bought shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ). In a filing disclosed on May 08th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Verizon Communications stock on April 14th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “150 MAIN STREET TRUST > BANK OF AMERICA” account.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. also recently made the following trade(s):

• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Revvity (NYSE:RVTY) on 5/1/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Flex (NASDAQ:FLEX) on 5/1/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) on 5/1/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of FirstService (NASDAQ:FSV) on 5/1/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of SS&C Technologies (NASDAQ:SSNC) on 5/1/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Wayfair (NYSE:W) on 5/1/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of STERIS (NYSE:STE) on 5/1/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of DoorDash (NASDAQ:DASH) on 5/1/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Sensata Technologies (NYSE:ST) on 5/1/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Veralto (NYSE:VLTO) on 5/1/2026.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

VZ stock traded down $0.62 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $46.44. The stock had a trading volume of 23,333,327 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,431,740. The stock has a market capitalization of $193.90 billion, a PE ratio of 11.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $44.48. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on VZ shares. Evercore lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. William Blair upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $50.25 to $54.50 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.59.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In related news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. The trade was a 57.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $428,450.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares in the company, valued at $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FCC approved Verizon’s $1 billion purchase of spectrum assets from U.S. Cellular, a move that should expand Verizon’s network capacity and coverage and strengthen its competitive position. FCC approves Verizon’s $1 billion spectrum purchase
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon joined AT&T and T-Mobile in a proposed satellite-based joint venture aimed at closing rural wireless dead zones, which could improve service quality, coverage reliability, and the industry’s long-term growth narrative. Verizon Joins Rivals On Satellite Venture Reshaping Coverage And Investor Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Verizon closed a $4 billion junior subordinated notes offering, which was framed as strengthening its capital structure and supporting refinancing/funding flexibility. Verizon Strengthens Capital Structure with $4 Billion Notes
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish piece highlighted Verizon as one of 2026’s top defensive picks, citing undervaluation, a well-covered dividend, and potential upside over the next year. Why Verizon Is One of Our Top Defensive Picks In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on Verizon’s competitive position versus T-Mobile, customer retention, and a customer-facing website blocking issue; these are more mixed in nature and do not clearly change the near-term investment case. T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Is It Time to Choose a New Carrier?
• Negative Sentiment: A report on new layoffs suggests Verizon is still pushing hard on cost cuts and restructuring, which may help margins but can also signal pressure on operations and demand. Verizon Announces New Layoffs as Cost-Cutting Continues Into 2026
• Negative Sentiment: One article warned that Verizon’s latest phone plan changes could push away customers, reinforcing concerns about churn in a highly competitive wireless market. Verizon’s latest phone plan change may drive away consumers

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VZ. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 379,402,347 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $15,453,058,000 after purchasing an additional 5,497,598 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 222,951,399 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $9,080,810,000 after purchasing an additional 7,461,335 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 116,570,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,747,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 102,632,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,168,080,000 after purchasing an additional 867,694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,357,158,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Representative Cisneros

Gil Cisneros (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 31st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Cisneros (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Gil Cisneros served in the U.S. Navy as a supply officer from 1994 to 2004. Cisneros earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University in 1994, a master’s in business administration from Regis University in 2002, and a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University in 2015. His career experience includes working as a logistics manager for Frito-Lay. In 2010, Cisneros won the lottery and became involved in activism and philanthropy, founding a scholarship program for local high school students. In 2021, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Cisneros as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

About Verizon Communications

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.