BCE is a top buy

Article Excerpt

BCE INC. $26.39 (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares outstanding: 767.2 million; Market cap: $20.2 billion; SI Rating: Above Average) has deeply disappointed many investors at times in the past, and they’ve resolved never to buy it again. The most recent disappointment came when the company sold itself to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for $42.75 a share, but the deal fell through because of problems with financing. That news prompted the stock to plunge from $38 to $22. These disappointments help explain why BCE is now as cheap as it is. However, the stock could redeem itself in investors’ eyes and come back into fashion. BCE now trades at just 11.1 times the $2.38 a share that it is likely to earn this year. It has raised its dividend twice this year, and now yields 6.1%. It is likely that it will further increase its dividend, especially if its earnings rise. The company began a major cost-cutting drive in response to the Teachers’ bid. Although…