There’s something to be said for a company that is hard working, consistent, and, in many respects, loyal to its investors. BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE)(NYSE:BCE) is most definitely a stalwart company, making it a smart pick for investors who are in need of a relatively conservative but still growing stock.
BCE is a telecommunications company that not only has operations in cable, internet, and both wireless and wireline services, but it also is a giant media company. It now owns sports teams, such as the Toronto Raptors, a television network, multiple websites, retail stores, radio stations–the list goes on and on.
It’s this multi-faceted approach that makes me like BCE so much. When a customer orders cable, internet, and wireless, they pay a monthly charge to BCE. But then they turn on the TV and watch a show on a BCE-owned channel, thus making the company more money. And if they decide to go to a Raptors game, they make the company even more money. Being diversified has its perks.
And here’s the thing … business is doing well.
BCE revealed its earnings at the end of April, and they were consistent. It earned an adjusted EPS of $0.85 on $5.27 billion, up from the $0.84 EPS on $5.24 billion it had earned in Q1 2015. Although the company missed just slightly on revenue expectations, it continues to dominate as it signs up new customers.
For example, its wireless segment grew by 1.6% to 8.24 million customers, allowing revenue to grow 5.3% to $1.58 billion. On top of that, its average revenue per user grew by 3.6% to $63.02. Any time a company can increase the amount of money it earns from a customer, you have to be interested.
Internet subscriptions increased by 3.4% to 3.41 million and TV subscriptions saw a 3.4% improvement to 2.75 million. People still want wireless, they still want internet, and they still want cable TV.
If BCE stopped here, that would be okay because the company is such a juggernaut and is in such a strong position to kick off cash flow for decades. However, it’s not stopping there. The company is currently trying to acquire Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. (TSX:MBT) for $3.9 billion. Currently, MTS owns 50% of the wireless market in Manitoba with Rogers holding 30%, Telus with 10%, and BCE with the final 10%.
If it can get past the regulatory hurdles by selling 10% of the network to Telus, this would be a solid expansion into Manitoba for BCE. It would effectively own 50% of the network. And with a $1 billion investment into the MTS network, I imagine customers will move from Rogers and Telus over to BCE for the faster internet.
All of this growth in revenue and earnings, and acquiring new businesses allows BCE to be one of the top dividend companies. I expect companies to both pay a quality dividend and continue to grow it, which is why this acquisition is so important. At present-day values, the company pays a 4.61% yield, which comes out to $0.68/share. If the company continues to grow, I expect this will grow with it.
The reality is simple … BCE is a stalwart. It grows, it kicks off a ton of cash flow, and it pays a lucrative dividend. For investors who want a secure investment, you can’t go wrong with BCE.
