BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nine ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation, four have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $28.6667.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Securities lowered BCE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of BCE from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BCE in a report on Friday, May 29th.

BCE Stock Performance

BCE opened at $22.95 on Monday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $24.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $24.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market cap of $21.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.66 and a beta of 0.50. BCE has a 1-year low of $21.71 and a 1-year high of $26.52.

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.04. BCE had a net margin of 25.66% and a return on equity of 13.87%. The firm had revenue of $4.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.69 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. BCE has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.790-1.910 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that BCE will post 1.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BCE Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.4375 dividend. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. BCE’s payout ratio is currently 25.81%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BCE

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in BCE by 735.3% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,161 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,022 shares during the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in shares of BCE during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in shares of BCE in the first quarter valued at $33,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of BCE by 1,642.0% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,411 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,330 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC bought a new stake in BCE in the fourth quarter worth $60,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.46% of the company’s stock.

BCE Company Profile

BCE Inc (NYSE: BCE) is a Canadian communications, media and entertainment company that operates through its primary subsidiaries, including Bell Canada and Bell Media. As a large integrated telecommunications provider, BCE delivers a broad range of connectivity services and content to residential, business and wholesale customers across Canada. The company combines network infrastructure with media assets to offer bundled communications and entertainment solutions.

On the services side, BCE provides fixed-line and wireless voice services, mobile data, high-speed internet, fibre and broadband access, and television services through platforms such as Bell Fibe and Bell TV.