BCE (NYSE:BCE) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.790-1.910 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.870. The company issued revenue guidance of $17.7 billion-$18.4 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $18.1 billion.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on BCE. Weiss Ratings raised shares of BCE from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of BCE in a report on Monday, January 12th. Barrington Research raised shares of BCE from an “underperform” rating to an “equal weight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $21.00 to $26.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of BCE from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, TD Securities downgraded shares of BCE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $28.67.

BCE Price Performance

BCE traded down $0.42 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $24.15. 3,405,581 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,411,213. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.52 billion, a PE ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.48. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $24.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.30. BCE has a 1-year low of $21.09 and a 1-year high of $26.52.

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The utilities provider reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.55 billion. BCE had a net margin of 26.14% and a return on equity of 15.39%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.79 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that BCE will post 1.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BCE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 7.2%. BCE’s payout ratio is presently 26.02%.

Key Stories Impacting BCE

Here are the key news stories impacting BCE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BCE reported first-quarter results that beat earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up 4% year over year on strength in Bell CTS U.S./Ziply and Media, while free cash flow improved and postpaid subscriber additions rebounded. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted AI-related growth opportunities and said AI demand is boosting Bell Business Markets, with some reports pointing to a C$2 billion AI revenue target, which could support a longer-term growth narrative. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: BCE also announced a quarterly dividend, reinforcing its appeal for income-focused investors with a high yield profile. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders approved all items at the annual meeting, including election of directors, with little immediate market impact expected. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: BCE’s full-year guidance came in below consensus on both EPS and revenue, which may be limiting upside despite the earnings beat. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Separate headlines about Bell firing employees over alleged attendance violations could add a modest governance/reputation overhang, though the direct financial impact appears limited. Article title

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BCE

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in shares of BCE in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $100,999,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec raised its position in shares of BCE by 9.7% in the third quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 34,107,306 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $797,161,000 after buying an additional 3,024,110 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its position in shares of BCE by 15.1% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 17,136,466 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $408,749,000 after buying an additional 2,250,106 shares during the last quarter. FIL Ltd raised its position in shares of BCE by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 37,579,448 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $896,398,000 after buying an additional 1,992,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its position in shares of BCE by 234.3% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 1,963,939 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $46,913,000 after buying an additional 1,376,451 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.46% of the company’s stock.

About BCE

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.