BCE (NYSE:BCE) Stock Price Down 4.4% - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• BCE shares fell 4.4% to about $19.08, with trading volume roughly 70% below the average session volume. The stock is below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with six Buy ratings and five Holds, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $29.25. Bank of America recently upgraded BCE to Buy and raised its target to $27.
• BCE exceeded quarterly EPS expectations by reporting $0.47 versus the $0.46 consensus and announced a quarterly dividend of C$0.44, representing an annualized yield of approximately 9.2%.

BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE traded down 4.4% on Friday. The company traded as low as $18.99 and last traded at $19.0830. Approximately 1,099,658 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 70% from the average session volume of 3,672,838 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.96.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Scotiabank reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Friday, August 7th. TD Securities restated a "buy" rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of BCE in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of BCE from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $24.50 to $27.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, BCE presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $29.25.

BCE Trading Down 5.2%

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $22.41 and a 200 day moving average of $23.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $17.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.87, a PEG ratio of 5.95 and a beta of 0.54.

BCE (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. BCE had a return on equity of 12.90% and a net margin of 25.49%.The firm had revenue of $4.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. BCE has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.798-1.919 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that BCE, Inc. will post 1.89 EPS for the current year.

BCE Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a C$0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.2%. BCE's payout ratio is presently 25.77%.

Institutional Trading of BCE

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cullen Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in BCE during the second quarter valued at about $107,023,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of BCE by 21.7% in the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 5,038,362 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $127,011,000 after buying an additional 897,141 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its holdings in shares of BCE by 3,721.3% in the second quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 782,149 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $16,842,000 after buying an additional 761,681 shares during the period. Ninepoint Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of BCE in the 2nd quarter valued at about $14,523,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of BCE in the 2nd quarter valued at about $10,698,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.46% of the company's stock.

About BCE

BCE Inc, operating primarily under the Bell brand, is a Canadian communications and media company. Its telecommunications operations provide wireless voice and data services, broadband internet, television, home phone, and business communications solutions to consumers, organizations, and government customers across Canada.

Through Bell, the company offers mobile connectivity, fiber and other internet services, digital television, cloud services, cybersecurity, unified communications, and information technology solutions.

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