BCE (NYSE:BCE) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.05 EPS

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.05, Zacks reports. BCE had a return on equity of 18.89% and a net margin of 1.96%.The company had revenue of $4.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.75 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. BCE updated its FY 2025 guidance to 1.910-1.980 EPS.

BCE Stock Up 0.0%

BCE traded up $0.00 on Friday, hitting $23.17. 2,912,986 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,258,992. BCE has a 12 month low of $20.28 and a 12 month high of $28.64. The company has a market cap of $21.61 billion, a PE ratio of 79.91, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.61. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $23.59 and its 200-day moving average is $23.19.

BCE Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.4375 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $1.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.6%. BCE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 437.93%.

Institutional Trading of BCE

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BCE. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in BCE by 64.8% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,096 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 1,217 shares during the last quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc lifted its position in shares of BCE by 34.6% during the 2nd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 3,555 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 913 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in BCE by 92.9% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,322 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 2,081 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming bought a new position in shares of BCE in the 2nd quarter worth $103,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of BCE by 166.0% during the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 10,187 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $226,000 after buying an additional 6,357 shares during the last quarter. 41.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on BCE. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. National Bankshares reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of BCE in a report on Friday, August 15th. CIBC reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of BCE in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. TD Securities raised BCE from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised BCE from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $33.50.

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.