California State Teachers Retirement System Boosts Holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 4,016.0% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 271,369,762 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 264,776,704 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.07% of Verizon Communications worth $11,489,796,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at $2,357,158,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 15.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,101,021 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $3,117,471,000 after acquiring an additional 8,289,877 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 31.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,584,162 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,286,423,000 after acquiring an additional 7,509,055 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.5% in 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 acquiring an additional 7,461,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position 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 acquiring an additional 5,851,715 shares during the last quarter. 62.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $50.40 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $209.40 billion, a PE ratio of 13.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $46.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.50.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $34.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.16 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.64%.Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.22 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.990-5.040 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, CEO Kyle Malady sold 1,100 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.50, for a total transaction of $55,550.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 107,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,437,133. This trade represents a 1.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 3,300 shares of company stock worth $164,164 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Key Verizon Communications News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon signed a multibillion-dollar supply agreement with Corning for high-density optical fiber running through 2032. The commitment is intended to expand broadband access and strengthen infrastructure for rising AI-related data traffic, providing greater long-term visibility for Verizon’s network buildout. Verizon signs optical fiber deal with Corning to expand broadband, support AI growth
• Positive Sentiment: The agreement reportedly covers approximately 80 million miles of fiber and could help Verizon meet growing demand for consumer broadband, business connectivity and converged services. Investors may view the deal as supporting customer growth and reinforcing Verizon’s competitive position in infrastructure tied to AI demand. Verizon Just Locked In 80 Million Miles of Fiber Through 2032
• Neutral Sentiment: The deal’s strategic benefits are clear, but the articles do not disclose its precise financial terms. Verizon will likely need to commit substantial capital and operating resources, so the effect on margins, free cash flow and returns will depend on execution and broadband subscriber growth. Verizon, Corning Reach Multi-Billion Dollar Agreement for Broadband Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary points to investors rotating away from defensive, high-yield telecommunications stocks after Verizon’s strong run. Brokerages maintain a consensus “Hold” recommendation, suggesting much of the recent recovery may already be reflected in the share price. Shift Away from Defensive Plays Hits Verizon Communications

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on VZ shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Moffett Nathanson dropped their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $51.50 to $52.50 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.97.

Verizon Communications Company Profile

Verizon Communications Inc is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related technology services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, 5G connectivity, fixed wireless access, fiber-optic internet through Verizon Fios, home services, and connected-device solutions.

Through Verizon Business, the company serves enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations with communications networks, managed connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud and edge-computing services, unified communications, and Internet of Things solutions.