Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Upgraded at Scotiabank

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) was upgraded by equities researchers at Scotiabank from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on GWO. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$47.00 to C$51.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th. CIBC upped their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$55.00 to C$56.00 in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on 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. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Great-West Lifeco from C$45.00 to C$46.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of C$47.88.

Great-West Lifeco Trading Down 0.3 %

GWO opened at C$46.85 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of C$43.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.77, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 37.46, a quick ratio of 22.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.61. Great-West Lifeco has a 12 month low of C$38.44 and a 12 month high of C$50.99. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$47.41 and a 200-day moving average price of C$45.84.

Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported C$1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.00 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Great-West Lifeco will post 4.4525194 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Charles Donald Harvey Henaire sold 26,400 shares of the firm’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. Also, Director Paul Mahon sold 146,826 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of C$49.88, for a total value of C$7,323,842.39. Over the last three months, insiders sold 174,613 shares of company stock worth $8,697,880. Company 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.