Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Reaches New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) shares reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as C$49.64 and last traded at C$49.59, with a volume of 279488 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$49.17.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on GWO shares. Barclays raised their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$45.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Scotiabank raised their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$50.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$47.00 to C$51.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th. TD Securities raised their price target on 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, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$47.63.

Great-West Lifeco Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61, a quick ratio of 22.18 and a current ratio of 37.46. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is C$46.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$43.31. The stock has a market cap of C$46.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.555 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 3rd. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.48%. Great-West Lifeco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 55.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Great-West Lifeco

In other Great-West Lifeco news, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$46.27, for a total value of C$1,656,344.28. Also, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 25,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$44.72, for a total transaction of C$1,135,888.00. Insiders own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

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.