Form 4: Verizon CFO Acquires Phantom Stock Through Deferred Compensation Plan

Verizon Communications Inc.'s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Anthony T. Skiadas, acquired 140.097 units of phantom stock on June 5, 2025, through a deferred compensation plan.

Summary

• Anthony T. Skiadas, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), acquired 140.097 units of phantom stock.
• The transaction occurred on June 5, 2025.
• Each phantom stock unit is the economic equivalent of a portion of one share of common stock and is settled in cash.
• The acquisition was made indirectly through a deferred compensation plan.
• Following this transaction, Mr. Skiadas beneficially owns a total of 125,058.906 phantom stock units, which includes units acquired through dividend reinvestment.

Sentiment

Score: 6

Explanation: The filing is a routine disclosure of an insider acquiring phantom stock through a deferred compensation plan. While not a direct 'positive' in terms of operational performance, it indicates continued executive participation in long-term incentive plans, which is generally viewed favorably for aligning interests. No negative information is present.

Positives

• The acquisition of phantom stock by a key executive like the CFO can be viewed as a positive signal, indicating continued alignment of management's interests with shareholder value through long-term incentive plans.

Negatives

• No specific negatives are disclosed in this routine insider transaction report.

Risks

• No specific risks are mentioned in this Form 4 filing, which primarily reports insider transactions.

Future Outlook

This Form 4 filing does not contain any forward-looking statements or guidance regarding the company's future outlook.

Management Comments

• Each share of phantom stock is the economic equivalent of a portion of one share of common stock and is settled in cash.
• The shares of phantom stock become payable upon events established by the reporting person in accordance with the deferred compensation plan.

Industry Context

This Form 4 filing is a routine disclosure of an insider transaction and does not provide broader industry context or trends. It reflects an executive's participation in a standard deferred compensation plan within the telecommunications sector.

Comparison to Industry Standards

• The use of phantom stock as a component of executive compensation is a common practice across various industries, including telecommunications, aligning executive incentives with company performance without immediate equity dilution.
• Deferred compensation plans, such as the one utilized by Verizon, are standard mechanisms for executives to defer income and accumulate wealth, often tied to company stock performance.

Related Party Transactions

• Acquisition of phantom stock through a deferred compensation plan, which is a standard compensation arrangement between the company and its executive.

Stakeholder Impact

• Shareholders: The acquisition of phantom stock by a key executive aligns management's long-term interests with shareholder value, as the value of phantom stock is tied to the company's common stock performance.
• Employees: No direct impact on general employees is indicated by this specific filing.

Next Steps

• Phantom stock units will become payable upon events established by the reporting person in accordance with the deferred compensation plan.

Key Dates

Recommendation

Keywords

Verizon, VZ, Anthony T. Skiadas, CFO, Phantom Stock, Deferred Compensation, Insider Transaction, SEC Form 4, Executive Compensation