BCE (NYSE:BCE) Given “Underweight” Rating at Barclays

BCE (NYSE:BCE) (TSE:BCE)‘s stock had its “underweight” rating restated by equities research analysts at Barclays in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on BCE. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of BCE in a research report on Monday, December 16th. They set an “underweight” rating for the company. Edward Jones cut BCE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. National Bank Financial cut BCE from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of BCE in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lowered shares of BCE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BCE currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $45.00.

BCE Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BCE traded up $0.09 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $23.24. 1,636,744 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,402,652. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $24.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.57. The company has a market cap of $21.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 331.93, a PEG ratio of 3.83 and a beta of 0.56. BCE has a 52-week low of $21.87 and a 52-week high of $41.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BCE

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BCE. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in BCE by 121.2% in the 3rd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,232 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 675 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new stake in shares of BCE during the third quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of BCE by 321.0% during the third quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 1,663 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 1,268 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in BCE in the third quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 799 shares during the period. 41.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.