Lower costs will support BCE’s dividend

Article Excerpt

BCE’s shares are down 17% since the start of 2024. That’s mainly due to concerns over the sustainability of its dividend as those payments exceed its free cash flow. However, capital spending is declining now that it has completed a major upgrade of its networks. It’s also cutting jobs, mainly at its media operations. Those moves should lift its future cash flow. The likelihood of interest rate cuts later this year should also benefit BCE and other utility stocks. BCE INC. $45 is your #1 Income Buy for 2024. The company (Toronto symbol BCE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 912.3 billion; Market cap: $41.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend yield: 8.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bce.ca) is Canada’s largest traditional telephone service provider. It has 2.0 million residential customers in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces. BCE also has 4.47 million high-speed Internet users and 2.73 million TV subscribers (satellite and fibre-optic). In addition, it sells wireless services to…