telus

SUNCOR ENERGY INC., $33.84, Toronto symbol SU, has had to reduce production at its main oil sands operations about 25 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, due to severe wildfires. In the quarter ended March 31, 2016, these operations accounted for 95% of Suncor’s bitumen production. The fires have also slowed production at the Syncrude oil sands facility, about 35 kilometers north of Fort McMurray. Suncor recently purchased an additional 5.0% interest in the operation. It now owns 53.74% of project. Its latest share purchase was for $937 million. That’s equal to 1.4 times the company’s first quarter cash flow of $682 million, or $0.45 a share....

MANITOBA TELECOM SERVICES $37.43 (Toronto symbol MBT; Shares outstanding: 78.3 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 3.5%; www.mts.ca) has attracted a $3.1 billion takeover offer from BCE Inc. (see page 38). Under the deal, Manitoba Tel shareholders can choose either $40 in cash or 0.6756 shares of BCE for every MBT share they hold. However, BCE plans to limit its overall cash spending, so most Manitoba Tel investors will likely receive 55% of their payout in stock and the remainder in cash....

MANITOBA TELECOM SERVICES $37.43 (Toronto symbol MBT; Shares outstanding: 78.3 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 3.5%; www.mts.ca) has attracted a $3.1 billion takeover offer from BCE Inc. (see page 38). Under the deal, Manitoba Tel shareholders can choose either $40 in cash or 0.6756 shares of BCE for every MBT share they hold. However, BCE plans to limit its overall cash spending, so most Manitoba Tel investors will likely receive 55% of their payout in stock and the remainder in cash....

TELUS $39.66 (Toronto symbol T; Shares outstanding: 593.3 million; Market cap: $23.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.6%; www.telus.com) is Canada’s second-largest wireless carrier (behind Rogers Communications) with 8.4 million subscribers. In addition, its wireline division serves 3.1 million landline phone customers in B.C., Alberta and eastern Quebec. This business also has 1.5 million Internet users and 980,000 TV customers. Telus will now extend its reach into Manitoba with BCE’s takeover of Manitoba Tel (see page 33). To satisfy Canadian telecom regulators, BCE plans to sell to Telus about one-third of Manitoba Telecom’s current postpaid wireless accounts, or a block of about 140,000 subscribers. BCE will also transfer one-third of Manitoba Tel’s retail outlets to Telus. In the three months ended March 31, 2016, the company earned $414 million, down 3.0% from $427 million a year earlier. However, earnings per share were unchanged at $0.70, due to fewer shares outstanding. Revenue gained 2.6%, to $3.11 billion from $3.03 billion....

BCE INC. $59.10 (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares outstanding: 868.1 million; Market cap: $50.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.6%; www.bce.ca) is Canada’s largest provider of telephone, Internet and wireless services. It also offers satellite and Internet TV across the country. In the three months ended March 31, 2016, the company’s earnings per share rose 1.2%, to $0.85 from $0.84 a year earlier. Revenue increased slightly, to $5.27 billion from $5.24 billion. Revenue from wireless services (30% of the total) rose 5.3% as the company’s network upgrades continued to attract new subscribers. BCE also benefited from the rising use of smartphones. It can charge higher service fees for those devices than for regular cellphones....

Telus and its wireless network must compete against Shaw Communications and subsidiary Wind Mobile

TELUS CORP. $40 (Toronto symbol T; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 599.9 million; Market cap: $24.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.9; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.telus.com) is Canada’s second-largest wireless telephone service provider, after Rogers Communications, with 8.5 million subscribers. Wireless now supplies 56% of Telus’s revenue and 66% of its earnings. The remaining 44% of revenue and 34% of earnings come from its wireline division, which serves 1.5 million residential phone customers in B.C., Alberta and eastern Quebec. This business also has 1.6 million high-speed Internet users and 1.0 million TV clients. The stock is down 11% from its July 2015 peak of $45. That’s partly due to Shaw Communications’ (Toronto symbol SJR.B) recent deal to pay $1.6 billion for wireless carrier Wind Mobile, which operates in Ontario, Alberta and B.C....

MANITOBA TELECOM SERVICES INC. $32 (Toronto symbol MBT; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 79.3 million; Market cap: $2.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.mts.ca) recently completed the sale of its Allstream division to U.S.-based Zayo Group Holdings (New York symbol ZAYO). Prior to the deal, Allstream, which offers telephone, Internet and other communication services to businesses across Canada, supplied 40% of Manitoba Telecom’s revenue. The remaining 60% came from its MTS division, which has 1.3 million telephone and wireless customers in Manitoba. Manitoba Telecom received $420.0 million, net of transaction costs, for Allstream. The company will use $200.0 million to buy back roughly 8% of its outstanding shares. It will put a further $190.0 million to its total debt of $1.1 billion, which is equal to 44% of its market cap. The company will hang on to the remaining $30.0 million for now....

In addition to BCE (see page 21), we also like these two other leading telcos. Both Telus and Manitoba Telecom are doing a good job attracting new customers, and hanging on to their current subscribers. Recent cost-cutting plans should also give them more cash to improve their networks and increase their dividends. TELUS CORP. $40 (Toronto symbol T; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 599.9 million; Market cap: $24.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.9; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.telus.com) is Canada’s second-largest wireless telephone service provider, after Rogers Communications, with 8.5 million subscribers. Wireless now supplies 56% of Telus’s revenue and 66% of its earnings. The remaining 44% of revenue and 34% of earnings come from its wireline division, which serves 1.5 million residential phone customers in B.C., Alberta and eastern Quebec. This business also has 1.6 million high-speed Internet users and 1.0 million TV clients....

TELUS $37.70 (Toronto symbol T; Shares outstanding: 600.1 million; Market cap: $22.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.7%; www.telus.com) will now face heightened competition in Western Canada from Shaw Communications (Toronto symbol SJR.B) after Shaw’s recent $1.6-billion purchase of wireless carrier Wind Mobile. Wind operates in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. By adding Wind, Shaw will be able to offer wireless service to its customers, in addition to its main cable television, satellite and Internet offerings. Telus already sells similar bundles in Western Canada, so Shaw’s move will increase competition for new customers....