Power Financial Q2 net earnings down 33%

Power Financial Corp. says its net earnings decreased 33% in the second quarter on lower revenues and a substantial charge resulting from the sale of its U.S. individual life insurance and annuity business.

The Montreal-based company says it earned $443 million or 66 cents per share, down from $658 million or 92 cents per share a year earlier.

The result included a $146-million charge, 92% of which related to the June sale by Great-West Life and Annuity of its U.S. operations to Protective Life Insurance Company for $1.6 million.

Excluding the one-time items, adjusted earnings were down 10.5% to $589 million from $658 million in the prior year.

That equalled 88 cents per share, one cent per share better than forecast by analysts and down from 92 cents per share in the second quarter of 2018.

Revenues were $3.5 billion, compared with $11.4 billion a year earlier which included the U.S. business.

Power Financial holds majority stakes in Great-West Lifeco, IGM Financial and Wealthsimple Financial Corp., as well as a minority stake in Pargesa Holding.

The Canadian Press

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