Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Scotiabank Analyst Says

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) had its price objective boosted by Scotiabank from C$44.00 to C$50.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has a sector perform rating on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Barclays set a C$43.00 price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 5th. TD Securities upped their price target on 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. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned 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 target price of C$46.38.

Great-West Lifeco Trading Up 0.3 %

TSE GWO opened at C$46.86 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of C$43.68 billion, a PE ratio of 11.77, 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$47.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average of C$45.78 and a 200-day moving average of C$42.68. The company has a current ratio of 37.46, a quick ratio of 22.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported C$1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of C$8.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$9.83 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Great-West Lifeco will post 4.4525194 EPS for the current year.

Great-West Lifeco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th were paid a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.74%. Great-West Lifeco’s payout ratio is 55.78%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of Great-West Lifeco stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 4th. The shares were 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 Great-West Lifeco stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$44.72, for a total value of C$1,135,888.00. Also, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$46.27, for a total transaction of C$1,656,344.28. 70.70% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.