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

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on GWO. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$46.00 to C$42.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. TD Securities raised their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$44.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, National Bankshares upped their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$43.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$43.88.

Great-West Lifeco Stock Performance

The stock’s fifty day moving average is C$40.49 and its 200-day moving average is C$41.57. 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 stock has a market cap of C$40.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.87, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Olivier Desmarais sold 1,029 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$40.88, for a total transaction of C$42,065.52. 70.63% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.