Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Reaches New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as C$47.87 and last traded at C$47.82, with a volume of 7368 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$47.20.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on GWO shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of 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. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$44.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Barclays set a C$43.00 price target on Great-West Lifeco and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. Finally, CIBC boosted their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$46.00 to C$51.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$46.38.

Great-West Lifeco Trading Up 0.7 %

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 company has a market capitalization of C$44.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.95, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is C$46.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$42.83.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported C$1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of C$8.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$9.83 billion. Research analysts predict that Great-West Lifeco Inc. will post 4.4525194 earnings per share for the current year.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 27th were issued a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.67%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Great-West Lifeco’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

Insider Transactions at Great-West Lifeco

In related news, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$46.27, for a total transaction of C$1,656,344.28. In related news, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 25,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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. Also, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the company’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. 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.