BCE, Inc. $BCE Shares Acquired by BlackRock Inc.

Key Points

• BlackRock increased its BCE stake by 32% in the second quarter, purchasing 309,333 additional shares for a total of 1.28 million shares valued at approximately $27.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 41.46% of BCE.
• BCE reported quarterly earnings of $0.47 per share, slightly above analyst expectations, on revenue of $4.35 billion. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $1.798 to $1.919.
• BCE declared a quarterly dividend of $0.4375 per share, equivalent to $1.75 annually and a 7.5% yield. Analysts hold a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $29.25, compared with the stock’s reported price of $23.39.

BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE - Free Report) TSE: BCE by 32.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,275,177 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 309,333 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. owned 0.14% of BCE worth $27,429,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BCE. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in BCE in the fourth quarter worth $100,999,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of BCE during the fourth quarter valued at $91,811,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec boosted its holdings in shares of BCE by 9.7% during the third quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 34,107,306 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $797,161,000 after acquiring an additional 3,024,110 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its position in shares of BCE by 15.1% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 17,136,466 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $408,749,000 after acquiring an additional 2,250,106 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FIL Ltd grew its position in shares of BCE by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 37,579,448 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $896,398,000 after acquiring an additional 1,992,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.46% of the company's stock.

BCE Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE:BCE opened at $23.39 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $21.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.78, a PEG ratio of 6.25 and a beta of 0.52. 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, Inc. has a 1 year low of $20.87 and a 1 year high of $26.52. The business has a fifty day moving average of $22.35 and a 200-day moving average of $23.89.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.01. The business 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. Equities analysts predict that BCE, Inc. will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current year.

BCE Dividend Announcement

The business 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. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. BCE's payout ratio is 25.97%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on BCE shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of BCE from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of BCE in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They set a "market perform" rating for the company. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of BCE from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Bank of America upgraded shares of BCE from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $24.50 to $27.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, TD Securities raised BCE from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, BCE presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $29.25.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BCE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE - Free Report) TSE: BCE.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source