BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twelve analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $40.00.

Several analysts have commented on the company. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating on shares of BCE in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded BCE from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $39.00 price target on shares of BCE in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Bank of America lowered shares of BCE from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, National Bank Financial upgraded shares of BCE from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd.

BCE Stock Performance

BCE stock opened at $22.25 on Wednesday. BCE has a twelve month low of $20.28 and a twelve month high of $36.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26. The company has a market capitalization of $20.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 185.42, a PEG ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 0.56. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $22.93 and its 200 day moving average is $25.34.

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.03. BCE had a return on equity of 17.89% and a net margin of 0.99%. On average, equities research analysts predict that BCE will post 1.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BCE Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a dividend of $0.6965 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.79 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.52%. BCE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 2,291.67%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BCE

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCE. Fiduciary Alliance LLC lifted its stake in shares of BCE by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 10,448 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $240,000 after buying an additional 519 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in BCE by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 43,402 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,006,000 after acquiring an additional 520 shares during the period. Bridgewater Associates LP lifted its position in shares of BCE by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 13,655 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $316,000 after acquiring an additional 614 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in shares of BCE by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 23,835 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $552,000 after acquiring an additional 691 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp grew its position in shares of BCE by 0.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 148,741 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,286,000 after purchasing an additional 749 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.46% of the company’s stock.

About BCE

BCE Inc, a communications company, provides wireless, wireline, Internet, and television (TV) services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in Canada. The company operates through two segments, Bell Communication and Technology Services, and Bell Media. The Bell Communication and Technology Services segment provides wireless products and services including mobile data and voice plans and devices; wireline products and services comprising data, including internet access, internet protocol television, cloud-based services, and business solutions, as well as voice, and other communication services and products; and satellite TV and connectivity services for residential, small and medium-sized business, government, and large enterprise customers.