Timely acquisition will spur earnings

Article Excerpt

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $27 (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 950.6 million; Market cap: $25.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend Yield: 4.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.greatwestlifeco.com) is Canada’s secondlargest insurance company after Manulife, with $545.8 billion of assets under administration. It also sells mutual funds and retirement planning and wealth management services. Power Financial Corp. (Toronto symbol PFC) owns 68.2% of Great-West. Revenue fell 11.9%, from $33.9 billion in 2008 to $29.9 billion in 2011. That’s partly because low interest rates have cut the interest income the company earns on its investment portfolio. However, revenue rose 0.5%, to $30.1 billion, in 2012. Earnings up despite uneven revenue Earnings rose 16.5%, from $1.4 billion in 2008 to $1.63 billion in 2009. Because of more shares outstanding, per-share earnings rose just 10.3%, from $1.56 to $1.72. In 2010, earnings fell to $1.70 a share (or a total of $1.62 billion) but improved to $2.13 a share (or…