Buy for mobile gains and income

Article Excerpt

Telus shares have gained 50% in the past five years, thanks to rising demand for wireless services. About 80% of Canadians now own a cellphone, but there’s still plenty of room for Telus to grow. That’s because many cellphone users are upgrading to smartphones, which generate higher revenue. Moreover, Telus signs up smartphone users under long-term contracts, so they are less likely to jump to rivals than regular cellphone customers. The company is also enjoying strong demand for its Internet TV service, which is helping it compete with cable operators. Fast-growing services like these should continue to help Telus offset falling revenue from its traditional phone business. They’re also giving the company plenty of cash to keep upgrading its networks and raising its dividend. TELUS CORP. $70 (Toronto symbol T; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 326.8 million; Market cap: $22.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.telus.com) now gets 54% of its revenue…