Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Given New C$45.00 Price Target at Barclays

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) had its price objective upped by Barclays from C$43.00 to C$45.00 in a research note released on Friday,BayStreet.CA reports.

GWO has been the subject of several other research reports. CIBC lifted their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$46.00 to C$51.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. TD Securities increased their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$44.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$50.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of C$47.63.

Great-West Lifeco Stock Performance

GWO traded up C$0.12 on Friday, hitting C$49.09. The company had a trading volume of 843,100 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,622,517. The stock has a market cap of C$45.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. Great-West Lifeco has a 1-year low of C$38.44 and a 1-year high of C$49.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61, a current ratio of 37.46 and a quick ratio of 22.18. The company’s fifty day moving average price is C$46.20 and its 200 day moving average price is C$42.95.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported C$1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$1.05 by C$0.06. The business had revenue of C$8.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$9.83 billion. Great-West Lifeco had a net margin of 11.32% and a return on equity of 13.21%. Equities analysts predict that Great-West Lifeco will post 4.4525194 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.555 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 3rd. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.52%. Great-West Lifeco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 55.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of Great-West Lifeco stock in a transaction on 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 other news, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 25,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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. Also, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$46.27, for a total value of C$1,656,344.28. 70.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.