Buy quality assets at a discount

Article Excerpt

POWER CORP. $38 is a buy. The conglomerate (Toronto symbol POW; Conservative-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 676.6 million; Market cap: $25.7 billion; Dividend yield: 5.2%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.powercorporation.com) is a holding company with a diversified list of businesses. Its primary investments are controlling stakes in Great-West Lifeco, IGM Financial, and Swiss-listed Pargesa. The company raised its quarterly dividend by 10.6% with the February 2022 payment, to $0.495 a share from $0.4475. The new annual rate of $1.98 yields a high 5.2%. Power also paid investors a special dividend of $0.0475 a share in February 2022. The holding company’s shares trade at a discount to its net asset value per share of $52.60 (as of December 31, 2021). The improving performance of its holdings should help cut that discount. Power Corp. is a buy. buy…