BCE reports fourth-quarter profit up, raises quarterly dividend
Posted Feb 4, 2021 07:24:58 AM.
Last Updated Feb 4, 2021 07:27:14 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREAL — BCE Inc. raised its dividend as it reported its fourth-quarter profit rose compared with a year ago, boosted by the sale of Bell data centres to Equinix.
The company says it will pay a quarterly dividend of 87.5 cents per share, up from 83.25 cents per share.
The increased payment to shareholders came as BCE reported a profit of $889 million attributable to common shareholders or 98 cents per share.
That compared with a profit attributable to common shareholders of $672 million or 74 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Operating revenue totalled $6.10 billion, down from $6.28 billion.
On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 81 cents per share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of 86 cents per share a year earlier. Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of 76 cents per share, according to financial data firm Refinitiv.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2021.
Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)
The Canadian Press
