Quality networks spur Telus gains

Article Excerpt

In the past few years, Telus has invested huge sums in its wireless and Internet networks. Those improvements have helped it compete, not only with BCE and Rogers, but with Shaw Communications’ lower-priced Freedom Mobile service. Less than 90% of Canadians use mobile services, so there’s still room to expand. As well, Telus’s new fibre-optic landlines are helping draw subscribers to its TV services. Even those consumers who prefer online streaming services, such as Netflix, still need reliable high-speed Internet access. TELUS CORP. $50 (Toronto symbol T; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 597.0 million; Market cap: $29.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.telus.com) has 9.24 million subscribers and is Canada’s third-largest wireless telephone carrier after Rogers (No. 1) and Bell Mobility (No. 2). In 2018, the company’s wireless business supplied 57% of its revenue and 67% of its earnings. The remaining 43% of the company’s revenue and 33% of its earnings came from its wireline…