Great-West survives Putnam takeover

Article Excerpt

Great-West bought troubled U.S.-based mutual-fund manager Putnam Investments in August 2007. Putnam had $182 billion in assets, and Great-West paid a bargain price of $4.2 billion. Putnam was coming off a mutual fund trading scandal that prompted investor redemptions. Falling stock markets and lingering problems dropped Putnam’s assets by 32%, to $124.2 billion today. That helped push down Great-West’s shares from $37 at the end of 2007 to as low as $11.21 in March 2009. However, the stock has since doubled. GREAT-WEST LIFECO $22.43 (Toronto symbol GWO; Shares. outstanding: 944.2 million; Market cap: $21.2 billion; SI Rating: Above Average) is a leading Canadian insurance company, with $332.9 billion in assets under administration. It also sells wealth management and other financial services, and also operates in the U.S. and Europe. Power Financial controls 72.7% of Great-West. Excluding one-time items, Great-West’s earnings fell 34.5% in the three months ended March 31, 2009, to $326 million, or $0.35 a share, from $493 million, or $0.55….