Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of BCE Put Options (NYSE:BCE)

Key Points

• Unusual options activity was seen in BCE, with investors buying 31,237 put options on Thursday — a surge of 4,215% above the typical volume of 724 contracts.
• Recent analyst sentiment has been mixed to positive, with TD Securities upgrading BCE to buy and RBC raising its price target to $39. Overall, the stock carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target price of $28.67.
• BCE reported solid quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue expectations, and it also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.4375 per share, implying an annual yield of about 8.3%.

BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors purchased 31,237 put options on the company. This is an increase of 4,215% compared to the typical volume of 724 put options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BCE has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of BCE from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. TD Securities upgraded shares of BCE from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of BCE in a report on Friday, May 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BCE has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $28.67.

Institutional Trading of BCE

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of BCE by 735.3% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,161 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,022 shares during the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in BCE in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new stake in BCE in the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in BCE by 1,642.0% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,411 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 1,330 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new stake in BCE during the 4th quarter worth approximately $60,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.46% of the company's stock.

BCE Price Performance

BCE stock traded down $0.24 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $21.20. 755,866 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,565,115. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.71. BCE has a 12-month low of $20.87 and a 12-month high of $26.52. The stock's 50 day moving average is $23.68 and its 200 day moving average is $24.42. The company has a market cap of $19.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.52.

BCE (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.04. BCE had a return on equity of 13.87% and a net margin of 25.66%.The business had revenue of $4.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.69 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. BCE has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.790-1.910 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that BCE will post 1.9 EPS for the current year.

BCE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.4375 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.3%. BCE's dividend payout ratio is currently 25.81%.

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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