Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its position in BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE - Free Report) TSE: BCE by 20.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,263,813 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 546,777 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned approximately 0.36% of BCE worth $75,655,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in BCE by 217.6% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,153 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 790 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in BCE by 1,147.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,397 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,285 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its position in BCE by 67.6% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,981 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 799 shares during the period. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in BCE in the fourth quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in BCE during the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.46% of the company's stock.
BCE Price Performance
NYSE BCE traded up $0.08 on Friday, hitting $22.74. The company had a trading volume of 5,186,187 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,717,588. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company's fifty day moving average price is $23.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.58. The company has a market capitalization of $20.96 billion, a PE ratio of 189.48, a PEG ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 0.56. BCE Inc. has a 12-month low of $21.62 and a 12-month high of $36.17.
BCE (NYSE:BCE - Get Free Report) TSE: BCE last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.03. BCE had a net margin of 0.99% and a return on equity of 17.89%. As a group, analysts predict that BCE Inc. will post 1.94 earnings per share for the current year.
BCE Cuts Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.6965 dividend. This represents a $2.79 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.25%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. BCE's dividend payout ratio is currently 2,291.67%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of analysts have recently commented on BCE shares. National Bank Financial upgraded BCE from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on BCE in a research report on Monday, December 16th. They issued an "underweight" rating on the stock. National Bankshares reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of BCE in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of BCE in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Bank of America lowered shares of BCE from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $40.00.
View Our Latest Report on BCE
BCE Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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