BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE) Shares Purchased by Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 65,155 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 978 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in BCE were worth $1,510,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of BCE. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in BCE by 121.2% during the 3rd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,232 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 675 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in shares of BCE by 67.6% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,981 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 799 shares in the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new position in shares of BCE during the 3rd quarter worth about $51,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of BCE by 321.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 1,663 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 1,268 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of BCE during the 3rd quarter worth about $65,000. 41.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

BCE Stock Up 0.4 %

BCE opened at $23.24 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $24.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $30.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26. The company has a market cap of $21.20 billion, a PE ratio of 331.93, a P/E/G ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.56. BCE Inc. has a 52 week low of $21.87 and a 52 week high of $41.51.

BCE Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were paid a dividend of $0.737 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. This is an increase from BCE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. This represents a $2.95 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.69%. BCE’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4,028.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on BCE shares. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Tuesday. National Bank Financial cut BCE from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of BCE in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on BCE in a research report on Monday, December 16th. They issued an “underweight” rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America cut BCE from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.00.

BCE Company Profile

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.