Look beyond banks in Finance sector

These four financial companies tend to be more volatile than Canada’s big-five banks. But they are all leaders in their niche fields, and offer strong growth prospects, particularly as the economy begins to recover.

We feel that conservative investors should diversify their finance-sector holdings with… Read More

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $25 – Toronto symbol GWO

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $25 (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 944.3 million; Market cap: $23.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; SI Rating: Above Average) is Canada’s largest insurance company, with $441.9 billion of assets under administration. Great-West also provides retirement-planning and wealth-management… Read More

Great-West survives Putnam takeover

Great-West bought troubled U.S.-based mutual-fund manager Putnam Investments in August 2007. Putnam had $182 billion in assets, and Great-West paid a bargain price of $4.2 billion. Putnam was coming off a mutual fund trading scandal that prompted investor redemptions. Falling stock markets and lingering problems… Read More

Great-West Lifeco Inc. $32 – Toronto symbol GWO

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $32 (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 892.5 million; Market cap: $28.6 billion; SI Rating: Above average) is Canada’s largest insurance company, with over $400 billion in assets under administration. Power Corp. controls 70% of Great-West’s shares.

Great-West sells… Read More

Diversify With These Two Leaders

Many Canadians tend to stick with the five big banks when it comes to the Finance segment of their portfolios. While we do recommend that most investors hold two or more bank stocks, you should also diversify your holdings with high-quality non-bank stocks such as… Read More

Latest Acquisition Has Big Potential

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $35 (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 892.1 million; Market cap: $31.2 billion; SI Rating: Above average) is Canada’s largest insurance company with $216.2 billion in assets under administration. Power Financial Corp. owns 75% of Great-West’s stock.

The company… Read More