Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Price Target Raised to C$45.00

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) had its target price upped by BMO Capital Markets from C$44.00 to C$45.00 in a research note published on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. CIBC lifted their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$46.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, February 16th. National Bankshares increased their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$43.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$45.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$46.00 in a research note on Friday. Finally, TD Securities reduced their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$44.00 in a research note on Thursday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of C$44.00.

Great-West Lifeco Trading Up 1.2 %

TSE:GWO opened at C$42.23 on Friday. Great-West Lifeco has a 12-month low of C$37.06 and a 12-month high of C$45.18. The company has a current ratio of 12.42, a quick ratio of 22.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.33. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is C$41.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$42.27. The firm has a market cap of C$39.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.41, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.86.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported C$1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of C$0.99 by C$0.05. Great-West Lifeco had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 10.28%. The company had revenue of C$20.21 billion during the quarter. Equities analysts anticipate that Great-West Lifeco will post 4.137561 EPS for the current year.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be given a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 31st. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.26%. Great-West Lifeco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 75.77%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Great-West Lifeco news, Senior Officer Linda Kerrigan sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$42.95, for a total transaction of C$214,750.00. In other news, Senior Officer Linda Kerrigan sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$42.95, for a total value of C$214,750.00. Also, Senior Officer Bradley John Fedorchuk sold 2,900 shares of Great-West Lifeco stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$42.44, for a total transaction of C$123,062.08. Insiders sold 13,300 shares of company stock worth $566,402 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 70.57% of the company’s stock.

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.