Telus ready to raise its dividend

Article Excerpt

After several years of explosive growth, Canada’s wireless industry has started to slow. That’s mainly because 85% of all Canadians now own a cellphone. Even so, the outlook for wireless carriers such as Telus and BCE (see page 83) remains bright for several reasons. One key factor is Canada’s expanding population. As well, new highmargin services such as wireless video streaming (like Apple’s FaceTime) should spur their earnings. Telus’s exposure to Western Canada adds risk, as resource firms cut jobs in response to low oil and commodity prices. However, ongoing investments in its networks will help it hang on to its customers and attract new ones. TELUS CORP. $44 (Toronto symbol T; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 592.0 million; Market cap: $26.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 4.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.telus.com) is Canada’s second-largest wireless carrier, after Rogers Communications, with 8.4 million subscribers. Wireless now supplies 55% of Telus’s revenue and 67% of…