BCE prospers in a tough market

Article Excerpt

Dear safe-money investor: BCE’s big investments in its networks continue to pay off with more high-speed Internet customers and wireless subscribers. The gains come despite the company’s increasingly competitive market. BCE INC. $61.21 (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares outstanding: 899.5 million; Market cap: $55.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.7%; www.bce.ca) is Canada’s largest telephone service provider, with 6.6 million customers in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. It also has 3.7 million high-speed Internet users, 2.8 million TV subscribers and 8.9 million cellphone customers. In the quarter ended March 31, 2017, BCE’s earnings per share rose 2.4%, to $0.87 from $0.85 a year earlier. Revenue increased 2.2%, to $5.4 billion from $5.3 billion. The company lost 38,065 satellite TV subscribers in the quarter. However, the investments in its wireless and Internet networks continue to attract new customers: BCE signed 35,728 wireless subscribers to longterm contracts (net of cancellations) in the latest quarter. That exceeded the consensus forecast for 30,000 additions. The company…