BCE (NYSE:BCE) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.04, Zacks reports. BCE had a return on equity of 16.30% and a net margin of 26.14%.The firm had revenue of $4.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.55 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.79 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. BCE updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.790-1.910 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from BCE’s conference call:

• BCE said it met its 2025 guidance with strong profitability and cash generation, including adjusted EBITDA up 0.7% and a 43.6% margin, free cash flow up 10% to CAD 3.2 billion, and lower capital intensity as CapEx fell to CAD 3.7 billion.
• Adjusted EPS fell 7.9% in 2025 and BCE is guiding 2026 adjusted EPS of CAD 2.50–2.65 (5%–11% lower), citing an expected ~CAD 250 million step-up in depreciation & amortization and ~CAD 100 million higher interest largely from the Ziply acquisition.
• The Ziply Fiber acquisition is positioned as a growth engine — Q4 revenue US$232 million and EBITDA US$100 million (43.1% margin) — with a reprioritized U.S. build to ramp in H2 2026 targeting ~3 million fiber passings by end‑2028 (up to 8 million longer term).
• BCE’s AI-powered enterprise businesses (Ateco, Bell Cyber, Bell AI Fabric) grew ~60% YoY to ~CAD 700 million in 2025 and management targets CAD 1.5 billion in AI revenue by 2028, supported by tuck‑ins like SDK Tech Services.
• Bell Media accelerated its digital shift — digital revenue +6% to represent 44% of media revenue, Crave reached 4.6 million subscribers after adding >1 million in 2025 — and management expects sports (NFL playoffs, FIFA World Cup) to boost 2026 monetization.

BCE Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of NYSE BCE opened at $25.06 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81. The business has a 50-day moving average of $23.99 and a 200-day moving average of $23.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.60. BCE has a 12 month low of $20.28 and a 12 month high of $26.49.

BCE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.4375 per share. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. BCE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.99%.

Trending Headlines about BCE

Here are the key news stories impacting BCE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a quarterly dividend of $0.4375 per share (annualized yield ~6.8%), reinforcing BCE’s income appeal for yield-focused investors. BCE reports 2025 Q4 and full-year results, announces 2026 financial targets
• Positive Sentiment: Subscriber and service momentum: Crave subscriptions surged and BCE cited service revenue growth and gains at Ziply Fiber — supportive for steady, higher-margin recurring revenues. BCE quarterly profit rises, maintains 2026 guidance as Crave subscriptions surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings per share beat consensus: BCE reported $0.49 EPS vs. consensus $0.45, showing operating profitability, but EPS is well below prior-year levels — a mixed signal for growth trajectory. BCE (BCE) Q4 Earnings Top Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue headwinds and product-sales decline: Q4 revenue fell year-over-year and missed some expectations, reflecting hardware/product weakness that offsets service gains. BCE Q4 Earnings Beat Despite Revenue Headwinds, Fall Y/Y, Shares Tank
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 guidance trims expectations: BCE set EPS guidance of $1.79–$1.91 (street ~$1.94) and issued revenue guidance that is essentially flat-to-modest growth — the softer EPS midpoint helped drive the share decline. BCE reports 2025 Q4 and full-year results, announces 2026 financial targets
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: Analysts and traders focused on the revenue/guidance misses and the year-over-year decline in profitability, leading to heavier-than-normal selling volume. BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE) Q4 2025 earnings call transcript

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BCE has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of BCE from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded BCE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded BCE from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $35.00 to $37.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. TD Securities raised BCE from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Barrington Research upgraded BCE from an “underperform” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $21.00 to $26.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $28.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BCE

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec grew its stake in BCE by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 34,107,306 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $797,161,000 after buying an additional 3,024,110 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc grew its position in BCE by 196.7% in the second quarter. Man Group plc now owns 1,633,561 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $36,214,000 after acquiring an additional 1,082,929 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its stake in BCE by 637.6% in the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 1,176,592 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,089,000 after acquiring an additional 1,017,071 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in BCE by 342.0% in the second quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 642,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $14,250,000 after acquiring an additional 497,341 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morningstar Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in BCE during the third quarter valued at about $5,044,000. 41.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

BCE Company Profile

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.