Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE)

Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC lessened its holdings in shares of BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,216 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 1,187 shares during the period. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in BCE were worth $306,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCE. Caldwell Sutter Capital Inc. grew its position in BCE by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Caldwell Sutter Capital Inc. now owns 11,856 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $413,000 after purchasing an additional 445 shares during the period. First Affirmative Financial Network grew its holdings in BCE by 6.1% during the third quarter. First Affirmative Financial Network now owns 8,181 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 472 shares during the period. Prospera Financial Services Inc raised its position in BCE by 6.8% during the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 7,534 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $262,000 after acquiring an additional 478 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in BCE by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 43,402 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,006,000 after acquiring an additional 520 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC lifted its holdings in BCE by 6.8% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 9,307 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares during the period. 41.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

BCE Price Performance

NYSE:BCE opened at $23.83 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $24.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $30.13. BCE Inc. has a 12 month low of $21.87 and a 12 month high of $40.99. The firm has a market cap of $21.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 340.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26.

BCE Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.737 per share. This represents a $2.95 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.37%. This is a boost from BCE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. BCE’s payout ratio is presently 4,028.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of BCE in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Bank of America cut shares of BCE from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Edward Jones lowered shares of BCE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on BCE in a research note on Monday, December 16th. They issued an “underweight” rating for the company. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.00.

About BCE

BCE Inc, a communications company, provides wireless, wireline, Internet, and television (TV) services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in Canada. The company operates through two segments, Bell Communication and Technology Services, and Bell Media. The Bell Communication and Technology Services segment provides wireless products and services including mobile data and voice plans and devices; wireline products and services comprising data, including internet access, internet protocol television, cloud-based services, and business solutions, as well as voice, and other communication services and products; and satellite TV and connectivity services for residential, small and medium-sized business, government, and large enterprise customers.