BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE) Receives Consensus Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• BCE has a consensus “Hold” rating from 11 analysts, with six buys, four holds and one sell. The average 12-month price target is $30.00, above the stock’s recent $22.52 price.
• BCE reported quarterly earnings of $0.47 per share, beating estimates by $0.01, while revenue matched expectations at $4.35 billion. Analysts expect full-year earnings of approximately $1.84 per share.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.4375 per share, equivalent to $1.75 annually and a 7.8% yield; institutional investors own 41.46% of BCE’s shares.

Shares of BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE have been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $30.00.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on BCE. Scotiabank restated an "outperform" rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of BCE from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce restated an "outperform" rating on shares of BCE in a report on Friday, July 10th. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of BCE in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. Finally, TD Securities upgraded shares of BCE from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BCE. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in BCE by 36.8% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 278,745 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $6,400,000 after purchasing an additional 75,053 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in BCE by 64.8% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,096 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 1,217 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. acquired a new position in BCE in the second quarter valued at approximately $407,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BCE by 92.9% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,322 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $96,000 after buying an additional 2,081 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in BCE by 237.0% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 265,861 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $5,894,000 after acquiring an additional 186,965 shares in the last quarter. 41.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

BCE Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BCE opened at $22.52 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $21.00 billion, a PE ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.51. The firm's fifty day moving average is $22.51 and its 200-day moving average is $24.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.73. BCE has a 52 week low of $20.87 and a 52 week high of $26.52.

BCE (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.35 billion. BCE had a net margin of 25.49% and a return on equity of 12.90%. BCE has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.798-1.919 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that BCE will post 1.84 earnings per share for the current year.

BCE Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.4375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.8%. BCE's dividend payout ratio is 25.97%.

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.

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