Lower fees enhance IGM’s prospects

Article Excerpt

IGM FINANCIAL INC. $47 (Toronto symbol IGM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 251.8 million; Market cap: $11.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.6; Dividend yield: 4.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.igmfinancial.com) is Canada’s largest independent mutual fund company, with $125.8 billion of assets under management. Power Financial owns 58.4% of IGM. The company has two main divisions. Investors Group sells its mutual funds, along with other services like portfolio management and mortgages, through 4,500 affiliated advisors. Mackenzie Financial sells its funds through independent brokers. In 2012, Investors Group cut the management fees on most of its funds to better compete with other fund companies. This move seems to be paying off. In the three months ended March 31, 2013, Investors Group’s sales, net of redemptions, jumped 114.4% to $375.6 million from $175.2 million a year earlier. Mackenzie did not cut its fees. Even so, it sold $254.0 million of funds, net of redemptions, compared to net outflows of $933.0 million…