GREAT-WEST LIFECO $22.51 - Toronto symbol GWO

GREAT-WEST LIFECO $22.51 (Toronto symbol GWO; Shares outstanding: 949.8 million; Market cap: $21.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.5%) is Canada’s largest insurance company, with $523.0 billion in assets under administration. It also operates in the U.S. and Europe.

In the three months ended March 31, 2012, Great-West’s earnings rose 8.7%, to $451 million, or $0.48 a share. A year earlier, it earned $415 million, or $0.44 a share. Revenue rose 3.9%, to $6.5 billion from $6.3 billion.

The company’s balance sheet is strong. As well, Great-West trades at just 10.7 times the $2.11 a share that it is likely to earn in 2012. The shares yield a high 5.5%.

Great-West Lifeco is still a buy.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.