Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Reaches New 52-Week High at $21.68

Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as C$21.68 and last traded at C$43.25, with a volume of 203835 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$43.09.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on GWO. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a report on Thursday, August 8th. National Bankshares raised their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$43.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$46.00 to C$42.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, TD Securities raised their price objective 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. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Great-West Lifeco has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$43.88.

Great-West Lifeco Stock Up 0.5 %

The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is C$40.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$41.58. The firm has a market cap of C$40.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61, a current ratio of 37.46 and a quick ratio of 22.18.

Great-West Lifeco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.10%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Great-West Lifeco’s dividend payout ratio is 55.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Great-West Lifeco

In related news, Director Olivier Desmarais sold 1,029 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$40.88, for a total transaction of C$42,065.52. Insiders own 70.63% 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.