Liquidity problems weigh on HCG

Article Excerpt

HOME CAPITAL GROUP INC. $9.64 (Toronto symbol HCG; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 64.3 million; Market cap: $619.9 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend suspended in May 2017; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.homecapital.com) is a mortgage lender serving borrowers who fail to meet the stricter stan dards of Canada’s big banks and other larger, traditional lenders. Due to charges that the company failed to disclose material information in a timely manner, depositors continue to remove their cash from Home Trust (Home Capital’s wholly owned banking subsidiary). Balances have declined over 90%, to $106.3 million as of June 6, 2017, from $1.4 billion on March 28. The company needs those deposits to fund its lending. Home Trust’s GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificates) balances—another important source of funding—total $12.2 billion. Home Capital has now secured a $2.0 billion line of credit from the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan and will sell $1.5 billion in mortgage loans. It has also suspended its $0.26-a-share quarterly dividend. Home Capital…