What is Scotiabank’s Estimate for BCE FY2026 Earnings?

BCE, Inc. (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) – Equities research analysts at Scotiabank boosted their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of BCE in a research report issued on Wednesday, August 19th. Scotiabank analyst M. Yaghi now forecasts that the utilities provider will post earnings per share of $1.90 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $1.80. Scotiabank has a “Outperform” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for BCE’s current full-year earnings is $1.87 per share.

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. BCE had a return on equity of 12.90% and a net margin of 25.49%.The firm had revenue of $4.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.35 billion. BCE has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.798-1.919 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce restated an “outperform” rating on shares of BCE in a report on Friday, July 10th. TD Securities upgraded shares of BCE from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays cut their price target on shares of BCE from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Bank of America upgraded BCE from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $24.50 to $27.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Raymond James Financial started coverage on BCE in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $29.25.

BCE Price Performance

Shares of BCE opened at $23.84 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79. BCE has a twelve month low of $20.87 and a twelve month high of $26.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a 50 day moving average of $22.32 and a 200-day moving average of $24.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BCE. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of BCE by 36.8% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 278,745 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $6,400,000 after purchasing an additional 75,053 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in BCE by 64.8% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,096 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 1,217 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. bought a new stake in BCE in the second quarter valued at approximately $407,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of BCE by 92.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,322 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 2,081 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in shares of BCE by 237.0% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 265,861 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $5,894,000 after buying an additional 186,965 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 41.46% of the company’s stock.

BCE Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.4375 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.3%. BCE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.97%.

About BCE

BCE Inc (NYSE: BCE) is a Canadian communications, media and entertainment company that operates through its primary subsidiaries, including Bell Canada and Bell Media. As a large integrated telecommunications provider, BCE delivers a broad range of connectivity services and content to residential, business and wholesale customers across Canada. The company combines network infrastructure with media assets to offer bundled communications and entertainment solutions.

On the services side, BCE provides fixed-line and wireless voice services, mobile data, high-speed internet, fibre and broadband access, and television services through platforms such as Bell Fibe and Bell TV.