The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, Dec. 5, edition that shares of Telus fell sharply after a Nov. 18 report by JPMorgan that called the company's dividend growth plan "unsustainable." The Globe's Irene Galea writes that Telus's dividend yield surpassed 9 per cent -- a level that many investors saw as unsustainable. On Wednesday, Telus abruptly paused its dividend growth plan, saying it would keep its quarterly payout at its current level until its share price "reflects growth prospects." Analysts reacted positively to the news, saying it could help the share price recover. Telus chief financial officer Doug French said Thursday morning that after the stock price did not recover, executives felt it was "time to reassess" the previous plan to continue growing the dividend. "Your dividend yield should be reflective of the risk and of your organization. And so, when it is up at 9 per cent, it is definitely not reflective of what we believe the future value proposition is," Mr. French said. The decision to pause the dividend was preceded by conversations with investors, he said. The board meeting to hold back the dividend growth was not impromptu and had been previously scheduled.