Improving net sales of Investors Group mutual funds helped IGM Financial Inc. (TSX:IGM) boost net income by 26% in the fourth quarter of 2009, the company announced on Friday.

For the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, IGM reported adjusted net income of $176.5 million, up from adjusted net income of $140.1 million a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share were 67¢ compared to 53¢ a year ago.

For the year, IGM reported adjusted net income of $621.9 million, down from adjusted net income of $766.1 million in 2008. Adjusted earnings per share were $2.35 in 2009 compared to $2.89 in 2008.

The adjusted net income for the quarter and for the year excluded a number of factors, including a non-cash charge of $76.5 million on available for sale equity securities related to the market environment, a non-cash income tax benefit of $17.8 million resulting from decreases in Ontario corporate income tax rates and their effect on the future income tax liability, and a premium of $14.4 million paid on the redemption of the Series A preferred shares on Dec. 31, 2009.

Net income without adjustment for the quarter was $113.7 million, compared to net income without adjustment of $79.8 million in 2008. For the year, net income without adjustment $559.1 million compared to $730.8 million in 2008.

Gross revenues for the fourth quarter were $542.8 million, up from $523.6 million a year ago. Operating expenses were $391.5 million, down from $393.4 million last year.

Gross revenues for 2009 were $2.31 billion, down from $2.67 billion in the prior year.

Total assets under management at Dec. 31 were $120.5 billion, up from $101.7 billion a year ago, and up from $117.9 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2009.

Adjusted return on average common equity for 2009 was 14.8%, compared to 18.2% in 2008.

Investors Group network grows; net sales of mutual funds surge

The company’s Investors Group operations expanded in 2009, with the number of consultants rising to 4,633 at the end of the year, up from 4,479 at the end of 2008.

“Our consultant network expanded for the 22nd consecutive quarter,” said Murray J. Taylor, president and CEO of Investors Group Inc. “Increasing stock market values in 2009 led to an average 20% increase in our clients’ investment values.”

Mutual fund sales for the fourth quarter were $1.4 billion compared to $1.2 billion in the prior year and mutual fund net sales for the fourth quarter surged to $154 million from $60 million a year ago.

Mutual fund sales for the year ended December 31, 2009 were $5 billion, down from $5.9 billion in the prior year. Mutual fund net sales were $404 million, down from $625 million a year ago.

The 12-month trailing redemption rate, excluding money market funds, was 7.4% at Dec. 31, 2009, compared to 7.9% a year ago.

Mutual fund assets under management at the end of the year were $57.7 billion compared to $47.5 billion in 2008.

Meanwhile, total sales in the Mackenzie Financial Corp. division were $3 billion in the fourth quarter, down from $3.1 billion in the prior year. Total net redemptions were $509 million, down from $1.5 billion in the prior year.

“During the fourth quarter, total sales were $3 billion, compared to $2.4 billion in the third quarter,” said Charles R. Sims, president and CEO of Mackenzie. “The medium term relative performance of our diversified offering of mutual funds remained strong, with 65% of our fund assets ranked in the first or second quartile of their respective asset categories over the last three years.”

Total sales for the year were $11.6 billion, down from $12.3 billion in the prior year. Total net redemptions were $1.4 billion, down from $2.7 billion in 2008.

IGM Financial’s board of directors declared a dividend of 51.25¢ per share on the company’s common shares, payable on April 30, 2010 to shareholders of record on March 29, 2010.

IE