Updates on GREAT-WEST LIFECO, LOBLAW COS., TRANSCANADA CORP. and SUN LIFE FINANCIAL

Article Excerpt

GREAT-WEST LIFECO $27 (Toronto symbol GWO; Shares outstanding: 945.3 million; Market cap: $25.5 billion; SI Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.6%) is Canada’s largest insurance company, with $458.6 billion in assets under administration. The company also operates in the U.S. and Europe. Aside from insurance, Great-West sells wealth management and other financial services. In the three months ended December 31, 2009, Great-West’s earnings, excluding one-time items, fell 15.6%, to $443 million or $0.47 a share. A year earlier, it earned $525 million, or $0.59. Revenue fell 4.3%, to $14.7 billion from $15.3 billion. Great-West Lifeco is still a buy. LOBLAW COS. $36.70 (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 276.2 million; Market cap: $10.1 billion; SI Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield 2.3%) earned $656 million in 2009. That’s up 19.3% from $550 million in 2008. Earnings per share rose 18.4%, to $2.38 from $2.01, on more shares outstanding. The latest earnings beat the consensus earnings estimate of $2.29 a share. Loblaw’s 2009 sales fell 0.2%, to $30.7 billion…