GREAT-WEST LIFECO $30.32 - Toronto symbol GWO

GREAT-WEST LIFECO $30.32 (Toronto symbol GWO; Shares outstanding: 999.3 million; Market cap: $30.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 4.1%; www.greatwestlifeco.com) acquired the London Life insurance company in 1997.

In response, former London Life policyholders launched a class-action lawsuit accusing Great- West of using $220 million of London Life’s surplus funds, which they felt belonged to them, to finance the deal.

In 2010, a court ordered Great-West to pay $455.7 million in damages. The company appealed the ruling, and last year a higher court cut the award to $284.6 million.

The Ontario Court of Appeals has now cut the damages to $51.6 million. Either side could take the case to the Supreme Court of Canada, but the new judgment is small next to the $717 million Great-West earned in its latest quarter.

Great-West Lifeco is 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.