BMO Capital Markets Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Stock

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) had its price target increased by BMO Capital Markets from C$52.00 to C$54.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday,BayStreet.CA reports. BMO Capital Markets currently has a market perform rating on the stock.

GWO has been the subject of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$46.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Scotiabank raised Great-West Lifeco from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$51.00 to C$53.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, CIBC raised Great-West Lifeco from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from C$56.00 to C$60.00 in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of C$52.22.

Great-West Lifeco Stock Performance

Shares of GWO opened at C$51.71 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 37.46, a quick ratio of 22.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61. The firm has a market cap of C$48.20 billion, a PE ratio of 12.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. Great-West Lifeco has a 12 month low of C$38.44 and a 12 month high of C$52.47. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$47.33 and a 200-day moving average price of C$46.01.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported C$1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$1.08 by C$0.06. Great-West Lifeco had a return on equity of 13.21% and a net margin of 11.32%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.00 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Great-West Lifeco will post 4.4525194 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 3rd. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.29%. Great-West Lifeco’s payout ratio is 55.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Great-West Lifeco

In other news, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 26,400 shares of Great-West Lifeco stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$49.50, for a total transaction of C$1,306,800.00. Also, Senior Officer David Martin Harney sold 562 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$47.55, for a total transaction of C$26,721.58. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 174,613 shares of company stock valued at $8,697,880. 70.70% of the stock is owned by company 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.