Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What are your thoughts on Olympia Financial Group? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

Olympia Financial Group, $39.25, symbol OLY on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 2.5 million; Market cap: $99.1 million; www.olympiatrust.com), conducts most of its business through its wholly owned Olympia Trust Company subsidiary, which started up in September 1995. Rather than take deposits from customers and then make loans, Olympia Trust acts as a trustee and manages self-administered registered plans. It also acts as a registrar and transfer agent for companies listed on the Toronto stock market and administers employee stock purchase plans for corporations. In addition, Olympia Financial provides other services, such as foreign currency exchange. One of its divisions, Olympia Benefits, sells private health-service plans. Right now, Olympia only operates in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba. However, it has been granted a license to operate as a non-deposit-taking trust company in Quebec. That will let it expand its registered-plans and foreign-exchange businesses in that province. The company also aims to eventually expand into New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and maybe Washington State or Montana. The…