Barry SchwartzTelus CorpT.TOBUYNov 25, 2020

To be brutally harsh, the chart broke support and tumbled. He won't own this until it bases and breaks out again. 

It is a washed out stock but he has a positive view on the new CEO and CFO. Another defensive choice with a 5% dividend. It is likely stuck at these levels for a while but when it moves it could have a good run and show good momentum as others have done. It is one of two fiber optic networks in Canada. It is close to the end of their build and has cash flow. Also can benefit from AI in terms of cost cutting. He has owned it a long time and is adding.        Buy 2  Hold 12  Sell 4

He sold in February. When events negate your investment thesis, you have to change your position. 

After the cut, yield is now ~5.5%. Payout ratio is still high. Stock hasn't found a bottom yet. Needs to find cost cuts and growth quickly. He doesn't know where those are going to come from. He can't invest in companies where organic, topline growth is below GDP.

Share price is falling below falling 200-day and 50-day MAs. Technically, he'd be challenged to consider this name right now. 55% dividend cut removes that worry for the time being. Telecom space is a tough neighbourhood for earnings growth. Telus projecting only 1-2% earnings growth over next few years.

Wait for a basing pattern, reassess at that point.

Depends on your goal. Telecom growth is pretty muted, you can't expect a large total return. And multiple re-rating is a function of the growth. If you're looking for a well-covered dividend in a stable industry to support your retirement or in lieu of a pension, this is the place to look. Fits the bill for the income-focused investor.

Really watch the weighting. You want a diversified basket of income names.

An ex-CEO from CIBC now leads Telus. The market expected the dividend cut, but was cut more than expected. They kept revenue and EBITDA guidance. They want to sell non-core assets, but an announcement has yet to come, and will focus on core telecom business. All this led to a share decline, and telcos have been weak. Immigration no longer drives growth. She doesn't like the telcos. Still waiting on the sidelines.

His firm doesn't buy companies that cut their dividends. Until it can put together a cadence of growing its dividend (based on sustainable cashflow growth and balance sheet strength), which won't be anytime soon, they're not going near it. Cheap for a reason.

Not much to like in the past few years, worst performer in her portfolio. Lowered guidance. Dividend cut was by correct amount. Expectations are completely low, stock's completely washed out, all the downgrades came yesterday. 

Still best in class on fibre coverage and telecom assets. Asset sales to come. New CEO is the right person for the job, did an incredible job at CM. Not a revenue growth stock, but nowhere to go but up. Yield is 5.42%.

Even after the dividend cut, it still pays 6% which is sustainable. If their capex spending is over, they can pay down some debt and sell non-core assets. Maybe two years out, there will be a re-valuation. Otherwise, you have to be a long-term holder of this.

Dividend cut by 55%, goal is to repair balance sheet. Still Canada's largest telco, but today's selloff is about a major reset. Core business still adding wireless and internet customers. Weakness at Telus Digital, and too much debt. Stay on the sidelines until debt and cashflow clearly improve. Today's yield is closer to 5.6%.

A tough one. The dividend has been expected to be for a long, long time. When BCE cut its dividend, its shares did not take, because the cut was priced in. The big question is about the operating businesses. Watch their call about their cash flow which cannot sustain the dividend. Before selling it, watch the Q2 report and CEO remarks closely.

Almost right at the bottom of the Canadian RSI ranking. Steadily declining for over a year. Right now, nothing to suggest a turnaround. Remains in a downtrend, unable to move above $15 after falling below.

It had a downtrend within a channel in 2023-2025, but has since broken down. It might rally, but wouldn't count on much more than that.

Both are looking for growth down the road and watching expenses. In the immediate future, earnings growth for both looks fairly benign -- below 5% in both cases. Interest rates in Canada could potentially move higher later this year, which doesn't bode well for the high-dividend payers.

Both are below their 200-day MAs. You want to put your $$ where it makes the most sense, and he's not sure telcos are that place right now. He owns no telcos.