BCE - BCE Stock Forecast, Price & News

BCE Inc., a telecommunications and media company, provides wireless, wireline, Internet, and television (TV) services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Bell Wireless, Bell Wireline, and Bell Media. The Bell Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data communication products and services, as well as consumer electronics products. The Bell Wireline segment offers data, including internet access and Internet protocol television (IPTV), local telephone, and long distance services, as well as other communication services and products; and satellite TV service and connectivity servuces. This segment also buys and sells local telephone, long distance, data, and other services from or to resellers and other carriers. The Bell Media segment provides conventional TV, specialty TV, pay TV, streaming services, digital media services, radio broadcasting services, and out-of-home advertising services. BCE Inc. was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Verdun, Canada.

BCE Stock Performance

Shares of BCE opened at C$64.29 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of C$64.17 and a 200 day moving average price of C$67.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 125.96. The company has a market capitalization of C$58.63 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.84. BCE has a 52-week low of C$61.42 and a 52-week high of C$74.09.

BCE (TSE:BCE - Get Rating) (NYSE:BCE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 4th. The company reported C$0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.83 by C$0.04. The business had revenue of C$5.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of C$5.85 billion. Research analysts predict that BCE will post 3.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BCE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 15th will be paid a $0.92 dividend. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 14th. BCE's payout ratio is 110.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of BCE from C$68.00 to C$70.00 in a research report on Friday, May 6th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on shares of BCE from C$70.00 to C$68.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 12th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut shares of BCE to a "hold" rating and set a C$71.00 target price for the company. in a report on Tuesday, April 26th. TD Securities lifted their target price on shares of BCE from C$65.00 to C$67.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, August 5th. Finally, Cormark decreased their price objective on shares of BCE from C$72.00 to C$67.00 in a report on Friday, August 5th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of C$68.54.