Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$44.00.

GWO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. TD Securities lowered their target price on Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$44.00 in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$45.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$46.00 in a report on Friday, May 3rd. National Bankshares lifted their target price on 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on 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.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Olivier Desmarais sold 1,029 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$40.88, for a total transaction of C$42,065.52. Corporate insiders own 70.58% of the company’s stock.

Great-West Lifeco Price Performance

Great-West Lifeco stock opened at C$39.64 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is C$41.11 and its 200 day moving average is C$42.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.96, a current ratio of 37.37 and a quick ratio of 22.18. The firm has a market cap of C$36.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.87. Great-West Lifeco has a one year low of C$37.06 and a one year high of C$45.18.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported C$1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of C$1.02 by C$0.07. The company had revenue of C$7.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$10.58 billion. Great-West Lifeco had a return on equity of 11.74% and a net margin of 10.05%. As a group, research analysts expect that Great-West Lifeco will post 4.2812813 EPS for the current year.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.555 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 31st. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.60%. Great-West Lifeco’s dividend payout ratio is 63.25%.

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.