Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Sets New 12-Month High at $22.51

Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as C$22.51 and last traded at C$45.95, with a volume of 63579 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$45.85.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays set a C$43.00 price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. TD Securities increased their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$44.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$46.00 to C$42.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of C$43.78.

Great-West Lifeco Stock Up 0.6 %

The company has a current ratio of 37.46, a quick ratio of 22.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61. The company has a market capitalization of C$42.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. The business’s fifty day moving average price is C$43.38 and its 200 day moving average price is C$41.99.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported C$1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$1.05 by C$0.06. Great-West Lifeco had a return on equity of 13.21% and a net margin of 11.32%. The business had revenue of C$8.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$9.83 billion. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Great-West Lifeco Inc. will post 4.4911765 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th were paid a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. Great-West Lifeco’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

Insider Activity at Great-West Lifeco

In other Great-West Lifeco news, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 25,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$44.72, for a total transaction of C$1,135,888.00. 70.65% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Great-West Lifeco

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.