BCE Inc. (TSE:BCE) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of BCE Inc. (TSE:BCE) (NYSE:BCE) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the ten analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is C$45.36.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on BCE shares. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price target on shares of BCE from C$41.00 to C$37.50 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of BCE from C$48.00 to C$51.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on shares of BCE from C$50.50 to C$47.50 in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Desjardins upped their target price on shares of BCE from C$48.00 to C$51.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of BCE from C$47.00 to C$41.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th.

BCE Price Performance

TSE:BCE opened at C$37.81 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of C$34.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.67 and a beta of 0.48. The firm’s 50 day moving average is C$43.85. BCE has a 12-month low of C$36.95 and a 12-month high of C$56.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 197.43.

BCE Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be given a dividend of $0.9975 per share. This represents a $3.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.55%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 16th. BCE’s payout ratio is currently 185.58%.

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.