Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eight brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have given a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$47.63.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on GWO. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$47.00 to C$51.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th. CIBC lifted their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$51.00 to C$55.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$50.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. TD Securities raised their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$44.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$45.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Paul Mahon sold 146,826 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$49.88, for a total value of C$7,323,842.39. Also, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 25,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$44.72, for a total value of C$1,135,888.00. Insiders have sold a total of 235,251 shares of company stock worth $11,463,390 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Great-West Lifeco Stock Performance

GWO opened at C$49.79 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of C$47.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$43.55. The firm has a market cap of C$46.41 billion, a PE ratio of 12.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 22.18, a current ratio of 37.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61. Great-West Lifeco has a fifty-two week low of C$38.44 and a fifty-two week high of C$50.25.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 3rd will be given a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 3rd. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.46%. Great-West Lifeco’s payout ratio is 55.78%.

Great-West Lifeco Company Profile

Great-West Lifeco Inc engages in the life and health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management, and reinsurance businesses in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The company offers life, accidental death and dismemberment, disability, critical illness, health and dental protection, and creditor insurance products; and retirement and wealth savings, income and annuity products, and other specialty products to individuals, families, businesses, and organizations.