Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO - Get Free Report)'s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$44.65 and traded as high as C$47.86. Great-West Lifeco shares last traded at C$47.67, with a volume of 615,001 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. CIBC increased their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$51.00 to C$55.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$50.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Barclays increased their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$45.00 in a report on Friday, November 8th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Great-West Lifeco from C$47.00 to C$51.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on 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. One equities research 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Great-West Lifeco currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of C$47.63.

Great-West Lifeco Stock Up 0.4 %

The company has a market cap of C$44.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.98, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of C$48.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$44.70. The company has a quick ratio of 22.18, a current ratio of 37.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 3rd. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.66%. Great-West Lifeco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Great-West Lifeco

In related news, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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. Also, Senior Officer Colleen Nancy Bailey Moffitt sold 825 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$49.11, for a total value of C$40,515.75. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 66 shares in the company, valued at C$3,241.26. This trade represents a 92.59 % decrease in their position. Insiders have sold a total of 209,851 shares of company stock worth $10,327,502 over the last 90 days. 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.