Acquisitions power Intact’s dividend growth

Article Excerpt

INTACT FINANCIAL CORP. $101 (Toronto symbol IFC; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 131.0 million; Market cap: $13.2 billion; Dividend yield: 2.5%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.intactfc.com) began operating in 1809. It’s now Canada’s largest provider of property and casualty insurance, with roughly 17% of the market. The company insures more than five million individuals and businesses. Its major brands are Intact Insurance, Canada BrokerLink and belairdirect. Intact took its current form when ING Canada Inc. first sold shares to the public at $26.00 a share in late 2004. In 2009, ING Canada changed its name to Intact Financial. Intact has raised its annual dividend rate each year since it became a public company. The last increase was in March 2017: it raised the quarterly payment by 10.3%, to $0.64 a share from $0.58. The new annual dividend rate of $2.56 yields 2.5%. Proven industry consolidator The company typically uses acquisitions to fuel its growth: since 1998, it has purchased 15…