Overseas Growth Offsets Subprime Risk

Article Excerpt

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $35 (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 892.2 million; Market cap: $31.2 billion; SI Rating: Above average) earned $0.61 a share (total $544 million) in the second quarter of 2007, up 17.3% from $0.52 a share ($461 million) a year earlier. Most of the gain came from its European operations. Revenue grew 3.1%, to $10.1 billion from $9.8 billion. Great-West also raised its dividend 7.8%. The new annual rate of $1.10 yields 3.1%. The company has $1.2 billion U.S. invested in the troubled subprime mortgage market. But less than 1% of that is rated non-investment grade, so any writedown will probably be minor. The recent $3.9 billion U.S. purchase of mutual fund investment manager Putnam Investments Trust will also cut Great-West’s exposure to the housing market. Great-West Lifeco is a buy. buy…