Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Shares of Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$44.09 and traded as high as C$46.64. Great-West Lifeco shares last traded at C$46.55, with a volume of 3,993,343 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$47.00 to C$51.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th. CIBC raised their price target on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$51.00 to C$55.00 in a report on Friday, November 8th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Great-West Lifeco from C$44.00 to C$50.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Barclays upped their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$43.00 to C$45.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Great-West Lifeco from C$42.00 to C$48.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of C$47.63.

Great-West Lifeco Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of C$43.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61, a quick ratio of 22.18 and a current ratio of 37.46. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of C$47.99 and a 200-day moving average price of C$44.12.

Great-West Lifeco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.75%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 3rd. Great-West Lifeco's dividend payout ratio is presently 55.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 26,400 shares of Great-West Lifeco stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$49.50, for a total value of C$1,306,800.00. Also, Director Richard Henry Linton sold 35,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 4th. The shares were 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 in the last three months. 70.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.