BCE still has strong growth ahead

Article Excerpt

In 2018, BCE plans to spend $3.9 million on upgrading its networks. The investments are key to winning more and more wireless and Internet customers. Those new users demand increasingly fast speeds for video streaming, gaming and so on. BCE INC. $56.00 (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares outstanding: 900.4 million; Market cap: $51.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.4%; www.bce.ca) is Canada’s largest traditional telephone service provider, with 6.3 million customers in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces. It also has 3.8 million high-speed Internet users and 2.8 million TV subscribers. In addition, the company sells wireless services to 9.2 million users across Canada. In the quarter ended December 31, 2017, BCE’s revenue climbed 4.5%, to $5.96 billion from $5.70 billion a year earlier. Earnings rose 2.5%, to $684 million from $667 million a year earlier. Due to more shares outstanding, per-share profits were unchanged at $0.76. The company’s heavy investments in its wireless and Internet networks continue to pay…