New York, February 14, 2026, 15:52 EST — The market has wrapped up for the day.
- Verizon slipped on Friday, pulling back after notching a new 52-week high just the day before.
- With Presidents Day falling on Monday, U.S. markets are closed. Trading picks back up Tuesday.
- Buybacks and dividends are in focus for investors, with attention also turning to the upcoming management update at an investor conference later this month.
Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) dropped 0.9% Friday, settling at $49.01—lagging behind T-Mobile US, up 2.25%. AT&T dipped, too, but just 0.38%.
U.S. stocks drifted into the holiday break on a weak note. The S&P 500 barely edged up, and the Nasdaq slipped, following January inflation numbers that landed below forecasts. Investors weren’t biting ahead of Presidents Day. “Any whiff of optimism continues to get rejected,” said Michael James, managing director at Rosenblatt Securities. Reuters
Verizon shares are hovering close to $50, and lately, the stock’s been moving in lockstep with headline risk—think rates, new promotions, or even the smallest change in the chatter around competition. There’s also a new slate of investor events coming up, so traders are on edge for unscripted remarks that might jolt the tape.
Verizon ended the previous session up 1% at $49.46, notching a fresh 52-week high after logging gains for the fourth day in a row, market data from Thursday show.
Late Friday, a regulatory filing revealed Joseph J. Russo, Verizon’s executive vice president and president of global networks and technology, picked up 42,446 shares after performance stock units vested. He let go of 18,529 shares at $48.97 each, with the transaction marked for tax purposes.
This month, Verizon detailed plans for capital returns in a separate filing, pointing to cost shifts and a revised market approach. The company projected it would “return approximately $55 billion” to shareholders in dividends and buybacks by the end of 2028. Alongside that, Verizon authorized a $25 billion share buyback program and signaled intentions to repurchase at least $3 billion worth in 2026. SEC
For income-focused investors, Verizon’s ex-dividend date lands on April 10—miss that, and you’re out for the $0.7075 quarterly payout set for May 1. The company’s dividend history is posted .
Momentum in the shares accelerated into the upper $40s after Verizon posted late-January earnings, laying out a 2026 profit and free cash flow outlook that topped expectations, and notched its best quarterly postpaid phone net adds in six years. CEO Dan Schulman declared Verizon “will no longer be a hunting ground for our competitors.” MoffettNathanson pointed to the Frontier deal as a meaningful gain for Verizon’s fiber lineup. Reuters
The competitive landscape remains a live wire. Wireless prices shift quickly—investors aren’t shy about hitting stocks hard at the first hint of renewed promotions.
The upside story here has its complications. Verizon’s debt remains substantial, and should Treasury yields climb, the valuation cushion tied to its dividend could evaporate. Add in any slip in subscriber growth, and that risk only gets sharper.
The first hurdle shows up Tuesday, Feb. 17, as U.S. markets return from the break and traders gauge whether Verizon keeps its grip on the high-$40s. Then, eyes shift to Feb. 24, when CFO Tony Skiadas is on deck to speak at the Barclays Communications and Content Symposium.
