BCE invests in the U.K.

Article Excerpt

BCE INC., $31.24, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares o/s: 921.8 million; Market cap: $30.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 12.8%) is now buying a majority stake in U.K.-based Sphere Abacus through its Bell Media division. That firm distributes films, television programming and other media to a wide variety of international broadcasters and streaming firms. The company has not yet said how much it is paying for this stake. However, the deal will let it sell more of its original media content in international markets. The company will probably earn $2.76 a share in 2025, and the stock trades at 11.3 times that forecast. Meantime, BCE has frozen its current annual dividend rate of $3.99 a share through the end of 2025. We see the dividend as sustainable given the company’s projected 2025 free cash flow of $3.325 billion covers its total dividend payout of $2.6 billion. BCE Inc. is still a buy. buy…