Pure-play shift will benefit these two

Article Excerpt

These two subsidiaries of Power Corp. are re-focusing on their main businesses. That should appeal to investors, who tend to prefer pure-play companies. Even so, we feel IGM is the better buy right now. GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $39 is a hold. The company (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; shares outstanding: 932.4 million; Market cap: $36.4 billion; Dividend yield: 5.7%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.greatwestlifeco.com) is Canada’s second-largest life insurer after Manulife Financial. It also offers mutual funds and wealth management. Power Corp. owns 68.1% of the firm. With the March 2024 payment, Great-West will raise your quarterly dividend by 6.7%, to $0.555 a share from $0.52. The new annual rate of $2.22 yields 5.7%. In the past two years, Great-West has narrowed its focus to its main insurance and wealth management businesses. Under that plan, in January 2024, the company sold its U.S.-based Putnam Investments mutual fund business to Franklin Resources, Inc. (New York symbol BEN), operating as Franklin Templeton. It received…