The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, April 18, edition that Scotia Capital analyst Maher Yaghi has reaffirmed his "sector perform" recommendation for BCE. The Globe's David Leeder writes that Mr. Yaghi boosted his share target by $2.25 to $55.50. Analysts on average target the shares at $52.38. Mr. Yaghi says in a note: "For BCE, Q1 will likely be the weakest quarter of the year. The pressure in Q1 will be essentially driven by difficult comps in media and pressure in wireline revenues as continued aggressive promotions and business markets weigh on results. We expect Q1 wireless ARPU [average revenue per user] to register negative 0.5 per cent with the rate of the decline likely accelerating to negative 0.7 per cent in Q2 before some bottoming to occur. We continue to expect the company to meet its financial targets for 2024. The stock's valuation has declined significantly, potentially providing some downside protection. We believe investor confidence in the company's plan to bring down its dividend distribution ratio below 100 per cent (possibly in 2026) will be key for a stock recovery." The Globe reported on Jan. 5 that Mr. Yaghi continued to rate BCE "sector perform." It was then worth $54.30.