Our updates for safety-conscious investors: BCE, Imperial Oil &, TC Energy

Article Excerpt

BCE INC., $60.21, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares outstanding: 911.9 million; Market cap: $55.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 6.4%) is Canada’s largest traditional telephone service provider. It also offers wireless services and high-speed Internet access. That’s in addition to owning TV and radio stations. With network upgrades largely completed, BCE’s capital spending should fall about 10% to $4.65 billion in 2023. Free cash flow (regular cash flow minus maintenance capital expenditures) should also then rise about 6% to $3.25 billion. Thanks to that strong cash flow, the company will raise your quarterly dividend by 5.2% with the April 2023 payment. The new annual rate of $3.87 yields a high 6.3%. Rising interest payments and a higher tax bill will probably cut BCE’s earnings by 3% to $3.26 a share in 2023. The stock trades at a reasonable 18.5 times that forecast. BCE Inc. is still a buy. IMPERIAL OIL LTD., $68.85, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares outstanding: 584.2…