BCE (NYSE:BCE) Stock Price Down 4.9% - Should You Sell?

BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE shares fell 4.9% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $23.21 and last traded at $23.67. 1,887,329 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 43% from the average session volume of 3,316,373 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.90.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Bank of America downgraded BCE from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of BCE from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of BCE in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group downgraded shares of BCE from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on BCE in a research report on Monday, December 16th. They set an "underweight" rating on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $45.00.

BCE Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $24.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26. The company has a market cap of $20.20 billion, a PE ratio of 184.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.57.

BCE (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.03. BCE had a net margin of 0.99% and a return on equity of 17.89%. Research analysts predict that BCE Inc. will post 2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BCE Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.6965 dividend. This represents a $2.79 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. BCE's dividend payout ratio is currently 2,350.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BCE

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BCE by 3,355.4% during the 3rd quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 1,852,025 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $64,450,000 after acquiring an additional 1,798,427 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its position in BCE by 48.7% during the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 3,563,534 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $123,877,000 after purchasing an additional 1,166,800 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in BCE by 4.8% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 18,873,961 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $656,421,000 after purchasing an additional 864,472 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in BCE in the 4th quarter worth approximately $17,271,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in BCE by 25.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,657,533 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $127,282,000 after buying an additional 738,656 shares during the last quarter. 41.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

BCE Company Profile

BCE Inc, a communications company, provides wireless, wireline, Internet, and television (TV) services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in Canada. The company operates through two segments, Bell Communication and Technology Services, and Bell Media. The Bell Communication and Technology Services segment provides wireless products and services including mobile data and voice plans and devices; wireline products and services comprising data, including internet access, internet protocol television, cloud-based services, and business solutions, as well as voice, and other communication services and products; and satellite TV and connectivity services for residential, small and medium-sized business, government, and large enterprise customers.