Great news for GWO

Article Excerpt

GREAT-WEST LIFECO $25.32 (Toronto symbol GWO; Shares outstanding: 947.4 million; Market cap: $24.0 billion; SI Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.9%) has finally had a quarter of break-even operating profits at its Putnam Investments subsidiary, after six consecutive money-losing quarters. Great West is Canada’s largest insurance company, with $463.2 billion in assets under administration. It also operates in the U.S. and Europe. In addition to insurance, it sells wealth management and other financial services. In August 2007, Great-West paid a bargain price of $4.2 billion U.S. for troubled Putnam Investments Trust, a leading U.S. mutual-fund company with $182 billion in assets. Putnam lost money for the next six quarters, due to internal problems, the stock-market downturn and the recession. If Putnam’s turnaround continues, it could make a big contribution to Great West’s results, which are already moving up nicely. In the three months to March 31, 2010, Great-West’s earnings rose 35.3%, to $441 million, or $0.47 a share, from $326 million, or $0.35 a..