Low rates help and hurt this lender

Article Excerpt

HOME CAPITAL GROUP INC. $31 remains a hold for aggressive investors. The stock (Toronto symbol HCG; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 53.0 million; Market cap: $1.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.4; Dividend suspended in May 2017; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.homecapital.com) lets you tap a mortgage lender serving borrowers who fail to meet the stricter standards of big banks and traditional lenders. The stock has rebounded strongly from its March 2020 low of $13.67 a share as record-low interest rates continue to spur strong demand for new mortgages. However, low interest rates are also making it harder for smaller lenders like Home Capital to attract depositors away from the big banks, which they see as safer during the pandemic. As a result, the company has to offer above average interest rates on savings accounts and GICs. Those higher interest payments could hurt its future earnings. Home Capital Group is a hold. hold…