GWO hikes its dividend

Article Excerpt

GREAT-WEST LIFECO, $53.80, is still a hold. The company (Toronto symbol GWO; shares o/s: 931.9 million; Market cap: $50.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 4.5%; www.greatwestlifeco.com) is Canada’s second-largest life insurer, after Manulife Financial. It also offers pension and wealth management services. Power Corp. (Toronto symbol POW) owns 68.2% of the firm. In the three months ended December 31, 2024, recent acquisitions helped boost Great-West’s per-share earnings by 15.4%, to $1.20 from $1.04. The company will probably earn $5.22 a share in 2025, and the stock trades at 10.3 times that estimate. The low p/e reflects the risk of integrating new businesses. Great-West is also raising your quarterly dividend by 9.9% with the March 2025 payment. The new annual rate of $2.44 yields an attractive 4.5%. Great-West Lifeco is still a hold. hold…