BCE is a top utility buy

Article Excerpt

BCE INC., $68.60, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares outstanding: 910.9 million; Market cap: $62.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.4%) is Canada’s largest traditional telephone service provider. It also offers wireless services and high-speed Internet access. That’s in addition to owning TV and radio stations. BCE is still benefiting from strong demand for new mobile phones and high-speed Internet. As a result, revenue in the quarter ended March 31, 2022, rose 2.5%, to $5.85 billion from $5.71 billion a year earlier. Given cost savings from a restructuring plan and lower interest payments, earnings per share rose 14.1%, to $0.89 from $0.78. Thanks to the strong earnings, BCE raised your quarterly dividend by 5.1% with the April 2022 payment, to $0.92 a share, up 5.1% from $0.875. The new annual rate of $3.68 yields a high 5.4%. BCE Inc. is still a buy. buy…