IGM raises stake in Asian firm

Article Excerpt

IGM FINANCIAL INC. $41 is a buy. The mutual fund provider (Toronto symbol IGM; Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 239.7 million; Market cap: $9.8 billion; Dividend yield: 5.5%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.igmfinancial.com) last raised its quarterly dividend by 4.7% with the January 2015 payment. The current annual rate of $2.25 a share yields a high 5.5%. Power Corp. (see page 47) owns 61.9% of IGM. The company is now buying Power Corp.’s 13.9% interest in China Asset Management Co., Ltd. (China AMC), one of that country’s largest mutual fund sellers. It will pay $1.15 billion in cash. The purchase will double IGM’s stake to 27.8%. The company expects to complete the purchase in the first half of 2022. The stock trades at a moderate 9.5 times the $4.33 a share that IGM should earn this year. IGM Financial is a buy. buy…