Smart acquisitions fuel Great-West

Article Excerpt

In recent years, Great-West has bought companies in Ireland and the U.S. that have added new business lines and boosted its profits. Growth by acquisition can be risky, but Great-West’s large size lets it take advantage of opportunities with strong chances of success. GREAT-WEST LIFECO $36.57 (Toronto symbol GWO; Shares outstanding: 997.4 million; Market cap: $36.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 3.6%; www.greatwestlifeco.com) is one of Canada’s largest insurance firms. It also offers mutual funds and wealth management. Power Financial owns 67.1% of Great-West. In the three months ended March 31, 2015, Great-West’s earnings per share rose 18.6%, to $0.70 from $0.59 a year earlier. The company’s expansion in the U.S. and Ireland continues, helping it end the latest quarter with $1.2 trillion of assets under administration. That’s up 46.0% from $805.9 billion a year earlier and 102.6% from $581.9 million on March 31, 2013. In 2013, Great-West paid $1.75 billion for Irish Life Group, a major pension manager and…