Vest Financial LLC Raises Stock Holdings in TELUS Corporation $TU

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC boosted its stake in TELUS by 97.2% in Q4, owning 357,705 shares valued at about $4.71 million after adding 176,316 shares.
• TELUS recently paid a quarterly dividend that annualizes to $1.67, implying a 13.7% yield, but the dividend payout ratio is an elevated 234.62%, raising sustainability concerns.
• The company missed the latest quarter's expectations (EPS $0.15 vs. $0.18 consensus; revenue $3.83B vs. $3.85B) and carries a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Hold" with a $17.63 target while the stock trades near $12.22 (52‑week range $11.69–$16.74).

Vest Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU - Free Report) TSE: T by 97.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 357,705 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock after purchasing an additional 176,316 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC's holdings in TELUS were worth $4,711,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in TELUS in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of TELUS by 35.0% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,926 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 759 shares during the period. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of TELUS in the second quarter valued at approximately $61,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of TELUS by 23.8% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,994 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 767 shares during the period. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in shares of TELUS in the third quarter valued at approximately $64,000. 49.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

TELUS Price Performance

TU stock opened at $12.22 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. TELUS Corporation has a 52-week low of $11.69 and a 52-week high of $16.74. The stock's 50 day moving average is $12.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.49. The company has a market capitalization of $18.92 billion, a PE ratio of 23.49, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.68.

TELUS (NYSE:TU - Get Free Report) TSE: T last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.03). TELUS had a return on equity of 8.42% and a net margin of 5.42%.The business had revenue of $3.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.25 earnings per share. Analysts predict that TELUS Corporation will post 0.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

TELUS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th were issued a $0.4184 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 11th. This represents a $1.67 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.7%. TELUS's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 234.62%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on TU shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded TELUS from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut TELUS from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen upgraded TELUS from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. TD Securities raised TELUS from a "buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Scotiabank lowered TELUS from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $17.63.

TELUS Company Profile

TELUS Corporation NYSE: TU is a Canadian telecommunications and technology company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It delivers a broad portfolio of consumer and business communications services across Canada, including mobile wireless, fixed-line voice, broadband internet, and television. TELUS also provides a range of enterprise services such as cloud and IT solutions, managed network services, cybersecurity and Internet of Things (IoT) offerings for business customers.

Beyond core connectivity, TELUS has expanded into health and digital services.

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