BCE Inc. (STAR)
BCE - TSX
Remember in November when BCE Inc. said it “intends to maintain its annual common share dividend at the current level of $3.99 per share during the financial year ending Dec. 31, 2025”? What? You believed them? LOL! Citing a need for “greater financial flexibility and a prudent approach to capital management,” the company slashed its dividend Thursday by 56 per cent, to $1.75 per share annually. Judging by the stock’s positive response, some investors are willing to forgive BCE’s dividend flip-flop if it means the company will stop paying out far more money than it makes.
Angi Inc. (STAR)
ANGI - Nasdaq
Angi Inc., A-an-gi, when will those clouds all disappear? For struggling Angi, which operates a website that connects homeowners with professional contractors, the clouds at least began to part this week: Thanks largely to cost cuts, the company posted first-quarter earnings of US$15-million, or 30 US cents a share, which easily topped estimates and gave the stock a lift. But with revenue tumbling 19 per cent and the shares still down more than 80 per cent from five years ago, shareholders have little money in their coats.
Telus Corp. (STAR)
T - TSX
There once was a business named Telus
And you’ll never guess what (“Please, just tell us!”)
Well, its first-quarter earnings
Surpassed Bay Street’s yearnings
And the dividend climbed up a trellis
Linamar Corp. (STAR)
LNR - TSX
A Canadian auto parts stock actually soared about 34 per cent in the past month? No, you haven’t been sniffing gasoline. Shares of Linamar Corp. extended their winning streak after the company posted first-quarter results above expectations and hiked its dividend, thanks to virtually everything it exports to the U.S. being exempt from tariffs under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. What’s more, Linamar’s executive chair, Linda Hasenfratz, said the company is positioned to win more business from U.S. auto manufacturers aiming to avoid tariffs on parts sourced from outside North America. No wonder the stock’s burning rubber.
Sweetgreen Inc. (DOG)
SG - NYSE
Sweetgreen Inc. bills itself as a “mission-driven, next-generation restaurant and lifestyle brand that serves healthy food at scale.” Wow, that’s a lot of words for a company that sells salads and protein bowls. Sadly, the company’s next-generation mission suffered a setback this week when same-store sales fell 3.1 per cent in the first quarter and Sweetgreen posted a loss of US$25-million, causing investors to lose money at scale as the stock tumbled.