Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: Has your view of BCE changed in light of the recent exercising of options by their CEO?

Article Excerpt

BCE’s chief executive officer, George Cope, recently exercised 1.233 million in stock options and received 1.233 million shares of BCE. He then sold those shares. That represented about half of his total stock-option and common-share holdings. Cope’s sale was for personal portfolio-planning purposes. That’s not uncommon for an executive with a lot of personal wealth tied up in a single investment. Insiders may sell for a variety of personal reasons that have nothing to do with the company. On the other hand, insiders only make substantial buys for one reason — they think the company has attractive investment appeal. That’s why this insider sale doesn’t change our view of the stock. BCE, $35.45, symbol BCE on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 755.6 million; Market cap: $26.8 billion; www.bce.ca) is still a buy. buy. …