The Successful Investor Hotline – Friday, February 5, 2016

Article Excerpt

BCE INC., $58.16, Toronto symbol BCE, continues to benefit from strong demand for its wireless, high-speed Internet and Fibe TV services. That’s offsetting weaker revenue from traditional telephone services. In the three months ended December 31, 2015, the company’s earnings rose 0.8%, to $615 million from $610 million a year earlier. Per-share profits were unchanged at $0.72 on more shares outstanding. These figures exclude unusual items, such as costs related to acquisitions and early debt repayments. On that basis, the latest earnings matched the consensus estimate. Revenue rose 1.4%, to $5.60 billion from $5.53 billion, missing the consensus forecast of $5.63 billion. During the quarter, the company added 91,308 wireless subscribers under long-term contracts, net of cancellations. That’s down from 118,120 a year earlier, mainly due to strong competition from other carriers during the busy holiday season. However, smartphone users now account for 78% of these customers, up from 76% a year earlier. That’s good news, as smartphones generate higher monthly fees than regular…