BCE (NYSE:BCE) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

Shares of BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $21.50 and last traded at $21.5310, with a volume of 4919956 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.26.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on BCE. TD Securities cut BCE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on BCE from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $28.67.

BCE Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $20.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.50. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $23.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84.

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. BCE had a net margin of 25.66% and a return on equity of 13.87%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.69 EPS. BCE has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.790-1.910 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that BCE, Inc. will post 1.9 EPS for the current year.

BCE Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.4375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $1.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.1%. BCE’s payout ratio is presently 25.81%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BCE

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased 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 valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,022 shares during the period. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in shares of BCE in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of BCE in the first quarter valued at $33,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BCE by 1,642.0% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,411 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,330 shares during the period. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC bought a new position in BCE during the fourth quarter valued at about $60,000. 41.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.