Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Stock Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Shares of Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$44.09 and traded as high as C$46.64. Great-West Lifeco shares last traded at C$46.55, with a volume of 3,993,343 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. 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 upped 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 report on Wednesday, October 30th. Barclays increased their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$45.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$47.00 to C$51.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$47.63.

Great-West Lifeco Trading Up 1.2 %

The company has a quick ratio of 22.18, a current ratio of 37.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61. The firm has a 50 day moving average of C$47.98 and a 200 day moving average of C$44.09. The firm has a market cap of C$43.39 billion, a PE ratio of 11.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84.

Great-West Lifeco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st 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 4.77%. Great-West Lifeco’s payout ratio is 55.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 26,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$49.50, for a total transaction of C$1,306,800.00. Also, Senior Officer Colleen Nancy Bailey Moffitt sold 825 shares of Great-West Lifeco stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$49.11, for a total value of C$40,515.75. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 66 shares of the company’s stock, valued at C$3,241.26. The trade was a 92.59 % decrease in their position. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 209,851 shares of company stock valued at $10,327,502. 70.70% of the stock is owned by 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.