BCE offers safety and income

Article Excerpt

We still think safety-conscious investors should focus on well-established stocks with strong businesses. The best of these stocks offer an attractive combination of low p/e ratios, steady or rising dividend yields and promising growth prospects. BCE has raised its dividend six times since December 2008. The stock now yields a high 5.3%. The shares are also inexpensive in relation to earnings. BCE INC. $38.22 (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares outstanding: 777.1 million; Market cap: $30.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.4%; www.bce.ca) is Canada’s largest provider of telephone, Internet and wireless services. It also sells wireless and satellite-TV services across Canada. In the three months ended June 30, 2011, BCE’s earnings per share rose 10.3%, to $0.86 from $0.78. Revenue rose 11.6%, to $5.0 billion from $4.4 billion a year earlier. Revenue fell 2.0% at the wireline division, which accounts for 53% of total revenue. This division, which includes BCE’s traditional land-line business, faces rising competition. As well, many customers are…