Market volatility should help IGM

Article Excerpt

IGM FINANCIAL INC. $37 is a buy. The mutual fund provider (Toronto symbol IGM; Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 237.7 million; Market cap: $8.8 billion; Dividend yield: 6.1%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.igmfinancial.com) last raised its quarterly dividend by 4.7% with the January 2015 payment. The current annual rate of $2.25 a share yields a high 6.1%. IGM’s fee income rises and falls with the value of the mutual funds and other securities it manages. Due to the stock market downturn in the first nine months of 2022, IGM’s assets under management (and advisement) fell 10.2%, to $238.1 billion as of September 30, 2022, from $265.2 billion a year earlier. However, the current uncertainty and rising interest rates should prompt more individuals to turn to IGM’s advisors. The stock also trades at a moderate 10.5 times the $3.52 a share that the company should earn this year. IGM Financial is a buy. buy…