Japan quake hits Great-West’s earnings

Article Excerpt

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $27 (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 948.5 million; Market cap: $25.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 4.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.greatwestlifeco.com) gets most of its revenue from selling life insurance and wealth-management services to individuals. It also sells catastrophe insurance to other property and casualty insurance companies. The company estimates that claims stemming from the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan will cut its earnings by $75 million in the three months ended March 31, 2011. To put that in context, Great-West earned $1.9 billion, or $1.96 a share, in 2010. Great-West Lifeco is a buy. buy…