Scotiabank Has Pessimistic Outlook of BCE FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Scotiabank lowered its FY2026 EPS forecast for BCE to C$2.61 from C$2.63, well below the broader consensus estimate of C$3.11, while maintaining a “Sector Outperform” rating and C$39 price target.
• BCE reported quarterly revenue of C$6.18 billion and EPS of C$0.65 in its latest results. Analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of C$37.69.
• BCE declared a quarterly dividend of C$0.4375, equivalent to C$1.75 annually and a 5.7% yield; shares recently traded at C$30.90, near the lower end of their 12-month range.

BCE Inc. (TSE:BCE - Free Report) NYSE: BCE - Scotiabank reduced their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for BCE in a research note issued on Thursday, September 17th. Scotiabank analyst M. Yaghi now expects that the company will post earnings of $2.61 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $2.63. Scotiabank currently has a "Sector Outperform" rating and a $39.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for BCE's current full-year earnings is $3.11 per share.

BCE (TSE:BCE - Get Free Report) NYSE: BCE last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported C$0.65 EPS for the quarter. BCE had a return on equity of 27.73% and a net margin of 25.89%.The firm had revenue of C$6.18 billion for the quarter.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley raised shares of BCE from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and upped their price objective for the company from C$31.00 to C$35.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Scotia raised their target price on shares of BCE from C$39.00 to C$40.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. TD Securities upgraded shares of BCE from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. TD upped their price target on shares of BCE from C$37.00 to C$40.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a C$37.00 price target on shares of BCE and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of C$37.69.

BCE Stock Performance

BCE opened at C$30.90 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 175.06. BCE has a 12-month low of C$29.66 and a 12-month high of C$36.25. The firm has a 50 day moving average of C$31.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$32.85. The firm has a market capitalization of C$28.82 billion, a PE ratio of 4.58, a P/E/G ratio of 4.67 and a beta of 0.37.

BCE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be given a $0.4375 dividend. This represents a $1.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. BCE's dividend payout ratio is currently 25.96%.

BCE Company Profile

Bell Media is Canada's leading media and entertainment company with a portfolio of assets in premium video, audio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. This includes Canada's most-watched television network, CTV; the largest Canadian-owned video streamer, Crave, with a premium add-on to include STARZ; a powerful suite of specialty channels; the most-trusted news brand, CTV News; Canada's cross-platform sports leaders, TSN and RDS; leading out-of-home advertising network, Astral; Québec's fast-growing conventional French-language network, Noovo; the country's leading radio and podcast app, iHeartRadio Canada; and a range of award-winning original productions, brands, and services.

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