This small lender has big potential

Article Excerpt

HOME CAPITAL GROUP INC. $42 (Toronto symbol HCG; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 34.7 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; Dividend yield: 1.5%; SI Rating: Average) is the parent company of Home Trust Company, which is a federally regulated firm that provides residential first mortgages to small business owners, the self-employed and others who don’t meet the stricter criteria of larger, traditional lenders. Home mortgages account for 80% of the company’s loan portfolio. The remaining 20% includes non-residential mortgages, credit cards and other types of loans. It operates five retail branches in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax. Strong history of growth Home Capital’s revenue rose 108.4%, from $234.7 million in 2005 to $489.2 million in 2009. Its earnings rose 137.4%, from $60.9 million in 2005 to $144.5 million in 2009. Earnings per share rose 141.3%, from $1.72 to $4.15. The company has recently expanded into traditional mortgages and other loans. That has broadened its customer base and helped…