Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Stock Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Shares of Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$44.34 and traded as high as C$47.72. Great-West Lifeco shares last traded at C$47.36, with a volume of 3,399,645 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on GWO shares. Barclays boosted their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$45.00 in a report on Friday, November 8th. Scotiabank upped their price objective on 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. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$47.00 to C$51.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, CIBC boosted their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$51.00 to C$55.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of C$47.63.

Great-West Lifeco Price Performance

The company has a market cap of C$43.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.83, 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. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of C$48.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$44.36.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.555 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 3rd. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.71%. Great-West Lifeco's payout ratio is presently 55.78%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Great-West Lifeco news, Senior Officer Colleen Nancy Bailey Moffitt sold 825 shares of Great-West Lifeco stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$49.11, for a total transaction of C$40,515.75. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 66 shares of the company's stock, valued at C$3,241.26. This trade represents a 92.59 % decrease in their position. Also, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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. Insiders sold a total of 209,851 shares of company stock worth $10,327,502 over the last ninety days. 70.70% of the stock is currently 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.