Niche Lender Has Gains Ahead

Article Excerpt

Home Capital is a leader in its field of first mortgage lending to Canadian borrowers who do not meet the lending requirements of major banks. However, Home Capital’s conservative lending practices have let it avoid the subprime mortgage problems that have hurt similar lenders in the United States. For example, as part of the company’s assessment process, its employees personally interview applicants to obtain relevant information that may be missed by credit bureau scores and conventional loan application forms. We still feel that conservative investors should maintain the bulk of their Finance sector holdings in major companies we recommend, including the big-five banks. However, investors willing to take on a little more risk should consider shares of Home Capital. The stock is attractively priced in relation to its prospects. It also has no exposure to the asset-backed credit problems of many other financial services stocks. HOME CAPITAL GROUP INC. $38 (Toronto symbol HCG; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 34.5 million;…