Retail stores help BCE compete

Article Excerpt

BCE INC. $52 (Toronto symbol BCE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 839.6 million; Market cap: $43.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 4.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bce.ca) is buying Glentel Inc. (Toronto symbol GLN), which sells mobile phones and subscription plans through 494 Canadian stores, mainly under under the Wireless Wave banner. Glentel also has 735 U.S. outlets and 147 in Australia and the Philippines. The company will pay $594 million (50% cash and 50% in BCE common shares) for Glentel’s outstanding shares. If you include Glentel’s debt, the entire deal is worth $670 million. BCE expects to complete it in the first quarter of 2015. The Glentel stores will keep selling subscription plans from rival wireless carriers. However, BCE feels the new outlets will help it win more customers, particularly as Ottawa now limits mobile contract terms to two years or less. BCE is a buy. buy. …