Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Given New C$53.00 Price Target at Desjardins

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) had its price target increased by Desjardins from C$49.00 to C$53.00 in a report issued on Friday morning,BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on GWO. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$59.00 to C$60.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$51.00 to C$53.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$46.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, TD Securities upgraded Great-West Lifeco from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from C$49.00 to C$53.00 in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of C$52.22.

Great-West Lifeco Price Performance

Shares of TSE:GWO opened at C$51.71 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of C$48.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.99, a PEG 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 has a 12 month low of C$38.44 and a 12 month high of C$52.47. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is C$47.33 and its 200 day moving average price is C$46.01.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported C$1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 posted $1.00 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Great-West Lifeco will post 4.4525194 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Paul Mahon sold 146,826 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$49.88, for a total transaction of C$7,323,842.39. Also, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 26,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$49.50, for a total transaction of C$1,306,800.00. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 174,613 shares of company stock worth $8,697,880. 70.70% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.