Nordea Investment Management AB Cuts Position in Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

22 Mar 2026, 10:08 by Danessa Lincoln · The Markets Daily

Nordea Investment Management AB trimmed its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 16.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,176,288 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 1,423,540 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $292,828,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Value Partners Investments Inc. grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 24.3% in the fourth quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. now owns 102,204 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $4,163,000 after purchasing an additional 20,000 shares during the last quarter. Cooper Financial Group grew its position in shares of Verizon Communications by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 9,289 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $378,000 after buying an additional 577 shares during the last quarter. Tounjian Advisory Partners LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Tounjian Advisory Partners LLC now owns 39,542 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,611,000 after acquiring an additional 528 shares during the last quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in Verizon Communications by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC now owns 129,670 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $5,281,000 after acquiring an additional 990 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sovereign Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Verizon Communications by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 11,999 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $489,000 after acquiring an additional 1,056 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

More Verizon Communications News

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

Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on VZ to $55 and initiated/maintained a “buy” stance, signaling analyst conviction and providing upside guidance that likely supported buying interest earlier in the session. Citigroup raises VZ price target to $55
Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a piece highlighting Verizon as a “strong momentum stock” using its style scores, which can attract momentum and quant-focused buyers. Here’s Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Strong Momentum Stock
Neutral Sentiment: Comparative coverage (AT&T vs. Verizon) discusses 5G and fiber growth and valuation differences — useful for investors evaluating sector allocation and relative upside but not a direct catalyst. AT&T vs. Verizon: Which Telecom Stock Has Better Upside Now?
Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also published an AT&T vs. Verizon comparison with similar takeaways on network investment and valuation trade-offs — helpful context for longer-term positioning. AT&T vs. Verizon: Which Telecom Stock Has Better Upside Now?
Neutral Sentiment: Investor-focused reviews and primers (e.g., The Motley Fool) reiterate VZ’s scale, heavy capex and leverage profile — factors that support stable cash flow and dividends but cap upside for some investors. Verizon Stock in 2026: What Every Investor Needs to Know
Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of a new dividend-focused ETF and broader yield plays is peripheral but can influence income-seeking flows into telecom stocks like VZ. You Already Own SCHD. This New ETF Pays Twice the Yield With One Simple Swap
Negative Sentiment: UBS moved VZ to a “hold,” a more cautious stance that can temper upside and weigh on sentiment among more conservative institutional holders. Verizon (VZ) Gets a Hold from UBS
Negative Sentiment: Zacks noted a recent intraday decline in VZ’s share price in prior sessions, a reminder that short-term volatility has been present despite recent analyst support. Verizon Communications (VZ) Declines More Than Market

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VZ has been the topic of several analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore increased their price objective on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Verizon Communications from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Williams Trading set a $54.00 price target on Verizon Communications in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.32.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $50.08 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $46.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $211.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.37, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.31. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.39 and a 12-month high of $51.67. 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 – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.10 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.15%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,189,100. This represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. The trade was a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

About Verizon Communications

(Free Report)

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.