Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Stock Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$44.34 and traded as high as C$47.72. Great-West Lifeco shares last traded at C$47.36, with a volume of 3,399,645 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Scotiabank upped their price objective 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. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$47.00 to C$51.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$45.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, CIBC lifted their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$51.00 to C$55.00 in a report on Friday, November 8th. 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$47.63.

Great-West Lifeco Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of C$48.13 and a 200-day moving average of C$44.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61, a quick ratio of 22.18 and a current ratio of 37.46. The stock has a market cap of C$43.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.83, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

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 given a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 3rd. Great-West Lifeco’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Great-West Lifeco news, Director Paul Mahon sold 146,826 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$49.88, for a total value of C$7,323,842.39. Also, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the firm’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 transaction of C$1,656,344.28. Insiders have sold 209,851 shares of company stock worth $10,327,502 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 70.70% 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.