Form 4: Verizon CLO adds 88 phantom stock units

EVP and Chief Legal Officer Vandana Venkatesh acquired 88.245 phantom stock units under Verizon’s deferred compensation plan, bringing her indirect holdings to 55,221.364 units.

Summary

• On 2026-03-26, EVP and Chief Legal Officer Vandana Venkatesh of Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) acquired 88.245 units of phantom stock under the company’s Deferred Compensation Plan.
• The transaction was coded as an acquisition (A) at a reference price of $14.47 per phantom unit.
• Total phantom stock units beneficially owned following the transaction: 55,221.364 units, held indirectly via the Deferred Compensation Plan.
• Phantom stock is cash-settled and represents the economic equivalent of a portion of one share of common stock; amounts are payable upon events specified under the deferred compensation plan.
• The entry notes an underlying security reference of Common Stock (25 shares).
• Holdings include phantom stock acquired through dividend reinvestment.
• A Power of Attorney executed on 2026-03-26 authorizes designated attorneys-in-fact to manage SEC filings and EDGAR administration; the Form 4 was signed by an attorney-in-fact on 2026-03-30.

Sentiment

Score: 5

Explanation: StockSavvy.ai views this as a neutral, routine insider deferred compensation update with no direct implications for fundamentals or valuation.

Positives

• Insider increased deferred compensation-linked exposure (88.245 units) rather than selling.
• Ongoing participation in the deferred compensation plan, including dividend reinvestment, indicates continued alignment with company equity performance.
• Administrative Power of Attorney in place supports timely, compliant reporting.

Negatives

• Phantom stock is cash-settled and does not increase direct common share ownership.
• Transaction size (88.245 units) is small relative to existing phantom holdings (55,221.364 units), limiting signaling value.

Future Outlook

No forward-looking guidance or business update is provided; this is an administrative insider ownership update related to deferred compensation.

Industry Context

StockSavvy.ai notes that phantom stock elections within non-qualified deferred compensation plans are standard among large-cap telecoms and other S&P 500 constituents. Such transactions are routine administrative events and typically carry limited signaling value for near-term company fundamentals.

Comparison to Industry Standards

• Consistent with peer practice: senior executives at large U.S. telecoms (AT&T [T], Comcast [CMCSA], T-Mobile [TMUS]) commonly accrue cash-settled phantom stock units in deferred compensation plans, avoiding shareholder dilution.
• The small incremental addition (88 units) versus total phantom holdings (>55k units) is immaterial, in line with routine dividend reinvestment or periodic accruals seen across blue-chip issuers.

Corporate Governance

Stakeholder Impact

• No share issuance or dilution; phantom stock is a cash-settled obligation within the executive’s deferred compensation.
• Minimal impact to shareholders and creditors; transaction reflects routine executive compensation administration.
• No change to the company’s operating outlook or customer/supplier relationships.

Key Dates

Keywords

Verizon Communications, VZ, Form 4, insider transaction, phantom stock, deferred compensation plan, executive compensation, beneficial ownership, EDGAR, Power of Attorney, telecommunications