Topic: How To Invest

TELUS $39.66

TELUS $39.66 (Toronto symbol T; Shares outstanding: 593.3 million; Market cap: $23.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.6%; www.telus.com) is Canada’s second-largest wireless carrier (behind Rogers Communications) with 8.4 million subscribers. In addition, its wireline division serves 3.1 million landline phone customers in B.C., Alberta and eastern Quebec. This business also has 1.5 million Internet users and 980,000 TV customers.

Telus will now extend its reach into Manitoba with BCE’s takeover of Manitoba Tel (see page 33). To satisfy Canadian telecom regulators, BCE plans to sell to Telus about one-third of Manitoba Telecom’s current postpaid wireless accounts, or a block of about 140,000 subscribers. BCE will also transfer one-third of Manitoba Tel’s retail outlets to Telus.

In the three months ended March 31, 2016, the company earned $414 million, down 3.0% from $427 million a year earlier. However, earnings per share were unchanged at $0.70, due to fewer shares outstanding. Revenue gained 2.6%, to $3.11 billion from $3.03 billion.

Telus is raising its quarterly dividend by 4.5% with the July 2016 payment, to $0.46 a share from $0.44. The new annual rate of $1.84 yields 4.6%.

Telus is a buy.

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