BCE Stock Recent News

A high-yielding dividend stock can be a great investment -- until it isn't. Just ask Walgreens Boots Alliance shareholders, who last month learned that the company was suspending its dividend.

BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE ) Q4 2024 Earnings Conference Call February 6, 2025 8:00 AM ET Company Participants Thane Fotopoulos - IR Mirko Bibic - President and CEO Curtis Millen - CFO Conference Call Participants Maher Yaghi - Scotiabank Drew McReynolds - RBC Capital Markets Sebastiano Petti - JPMorgan Vince Valentini - TD Securities Aravinda Galappatthige - Canaccord Genuity Jerome Dubreuil - Desjardins Securities David Barden - Bank of America Patrick Ho - Morgan Stanley Operator Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the BCE Q4 2024 Results and 2025 Guidance Call.

Although the revenue and EPS for BCE (BCE) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended December 2024, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and the year-ago numbers.

BCE (BCE) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.56 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.50 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.56 per share a year ago.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. For a description of the related risk factors and assumptions, please see the section entitled "Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" later in this news release.

BCE (BCE) doesn't possess the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations.

BCE has fallen precipitously since our previous coverage. We examine the competition landscape and tell you why Quebecor's pricing won't last. We tell you why and how we substantially increased our allocation to the company.

MONTRÉAL, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) today announced that 8,050 of its 8,779,487 fixed-rate Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares, Series AF ("Series AF Preferred Shares") have been tendered for conversion on February 1, 2025, on a one-for-one basis, into floating-rate Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares, Series AE ("Series AE Preferred Shares"). In addition, 2,479,334 of its 5,810,913 Series AE Preferred Shares have been tendered for conversion on February 1, 2025, on a one-for-one basis, into Series AF Preferred Shares.

The "RIG" portfolio aims for 50% income from defensive sectors and includes 83 stocks across 11+ sectors, focusing on investment-grade stocks. Defensive sectors include consumer staples, healthcare, utilities, and communication/telecom, with top-yield stocks like British American Tobacco and Pfizer. Groups 2 and 3 include defensive financials, bonds, ETFs, and preferred shares, contributing to stable income and meeting the 50% income goal.

BCE's recent 44% share price drop is due to concerns over the $7B Ziply acquisition and potential dividend cuts, but the core business remains strong. The Ziply deal offers growth opportunities in the U.S. fiber market, potentially boosting EBITDA and geographic diversification, despite higher capital intensity and execution risks. A dividend cut in 2026 is likely, which could free up cash for debt repayment and growth investments, potentially leading to a share price rebound.