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Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO)
TSX:GWO

Great-West Lifeco (GWO) AI Stock Analysis

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TSE:GWO

Great-West Lifeco

(TSX:GWO)

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Outperform 78 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:78Outperform
Price Target:
C$76.00
â–²(12.73% Upside)
The score is driven primarily by solid financial performance (strong cash generation, improving ROE, and moderate leverage) and supportive technical strength (price above key moving averages with positive momentum). Valuation is reasonable with an attractive dividend yield, and the latest earnings call reinforced a strong outlook via record base earnings and a larger buyback program, tempered by policy and mortality-related risks.
Positive Factors
Revenue Growth
Consistent revenue growth indicates strong market demand and effective business strategies, supporting long-term financial stability.
Strong Segment Performance
Diverse segment growth enhances resilience and reduces reliance on any single market, strengthening the company's competitive position.
Cash Flow and Buybacks
Increasing share buybacks reflects strong cash flow and financial flexibility, indicating confidence in future earnings and shareholder value.
Negative Factors
Declining Margins
Decreasing margins suggest potential inefficiencies or rising costs, which could pressure profitability if not addressed.
Volatility in Mortality Experience
Volatility in mortality experience can lead to unpredictable insurance results, impacting earnings stability and forecasting accuracy.
Potential Regulatory Impact
Regulatory changes increasing tax rates could reduce net earnings, affecting profitability and strategic financial planning.

Great-West Lifeco (GWO) vs. iShares MSCI Canada ETF (EWC)

Great-West Lifeco Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionGreat-West Lifeco Inc., a financial services holding company, 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 a portfolio of financial and benefit plan solutions for individuals, families, businesses, and organizations; life, disability, critical illness, accidental death, dismemberment, health and dental protection, and creditor insurance products; and retirement savings and income, annuity, and other specialty products. It also provides employer-sponsored retirement savings plans, individual retirement and taxable brokerage accounts, enrollment services, communication materials, investment options, and education services; and fund management, investment, and advisory services. In addition, the company offers private-label recordkeeping and administrative services; and investment products, including equity, fixed income, absolute return, and alternative strategies. Further, it provides protection and wealth management products, including payout annuity products; pension products; and life, annuity/longevity, mortgage surety, and property catastrophe reinsurance products. The company offers its products under the Canada Life, Irish Life, Empower, Putnam Investments, and PanAgora brand names. It distributes its products through a network of advisors, dealers, brokers, managing general agencies, financial institutions, consultants, third-party administrators, sales force, financial planners, employee benefit consultants, banks, and multi-tied agents. The company was founded in 1891 and is based in Winnipeg, Canada. Great-West Lifeco Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Power Financial Corporation.
How the Company Makes MoneyGreat-West Lifeco generates revenue through several key streams, primarily from premiums collected on insurance products, fees from asset management services, and investment income. The company offers various life and health insurance policies, which provide a steady inflow of premium revenues. Additionally, it manages mutual funds and other investment products, earning management fees based on assets under management. Significant partnerships with financial advisors, brokerages, and institutional clients enhance its distribution capabilities and contribute to its earnings. Investment income, derived from the company's portfolio of bonds, stocks, and other financial instruments, further bolsters its revenue, especially in favorable market conditions.

Great-West Lifeco Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 05, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Feb 05, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call highlighted strong financial performance with record base earnings and significant growth across all segments. The increase in share buyback targets and robust performance in Empower and Capital and Risk Solutions further underscore a positive outlook. However, potential impacts from the Canadian federal budget and volatility in mortality experience present some challenges.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Base Earnings and Return on Equity
Great-West Lifeco achieved record base earnings up 15% year-over-year and a base return on equity of 17.7%, highlighting strong financial performance.
Strong Segment Performance
All four business segments showed earnings growth, with double-digit growth in the U.S., Europe, and Capital and Risk Solutions, and mid-single-digit growth in Canada.
Increase in Share Buyback Target
The company announced an increase in its 2025 share buyback target by $500 million to $1.5 billion, reflecting strong cash flow and financial flexibility.
Capital and Risk Solutions Growth
Base earnings for Capital and Risk Solutions rose 20% year-over-year, driven by strong deal closures and a 36% increase in run-rate insurance results.
Empower's Milestone and Growth
Empower's Wealth business crossed USD 100 billion in client assets, and recorded net inflows of USD 3.4 billion, a 43% increase over the previous year.
Negative Updates
Potential Impact of Canadian Federal Budget
The Canadian budget proposal may increase the effective tax rate on base earnings by 0.5 percentage points, potentially impacting earnings by about 1%.
Volatility in Mortality Experience
The company experienced volatility in mortality experience this year, affecting quarterly insurance results.
Company Guidance
During the Great-West Lifeco Third Quarter 2025 Results Conference Call, the company reported record base earnings, which increased by 15% year-over-year, achieving a base return on equity of 17.7%. All four business segments achieved earnings growth, with double-digit growth in the U.S., Europe, and Capital and Risk Solutions, and mid-single-digit growth in Canada. Great-West Lifeco also repurchased nearly $1 billion in common shares and plans to increase the total 2025 target buyback by $500 million to $1.5 billion. Additionally, the U.S. Retirement business reported net plan inflows of USD 30 billion, while Empower's Wealth business reached a milestone of USD 100 billion in client assets. The company maintained strong capital and leverage ratios, with a LICAT ratio of 131% and a cash balance of $2.5 billion, positioning it well for future growth and potential M&A opportunities.

Great-West Lifeco Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Overall fundamentals are solid, led by strong and improving free cash flow (TTM FCF up ~17% and fully covering net income) and healthy, improving ROE (~14.2% TTM) with moderate leverage (debt-to-equity ~0.35–0.39). Offsetting these strengths, TTM revenue declined (~-9.9%) and operating profit is negative in multiple periods, raising questions about consistency of core operating profitability.
Income Statement
TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) revenue declined (-9.9%), extending a choppy multi-year top-line trend, which weighs on the quality of growth. Profitability is still solid for the period, with net margin around 11.6% and EBITDA margin around 15.7%, and net income is slightly higher than 2024. Offsetting this, reported operating profit is negative in multiple periods (including TTM and 2024–2023), suggesting earnings are being supported more by below-the-line items than consistently strong core operations.
Balance Sheet
Leverage looks moderate and stable for a life insurer, with debt-to-equity around 0.35–0.39 across TTM and recent years, indicating reasonable balance-sheet risk. Shareholders’ equity is sizable (~$28.6B TTM), and returns on equity are healthy and improving versus prior years (about 14.2% TTM vs ~10.7% in 2023). The main watch item is the very large asset base typical of the industry, where results can be sensitive to market/credit conditions even if headline leverage appears controlled.
Cash Flow
Cash generation is strong and consistent: operating cash flow is ~$5.0B in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) and free cash flow is equally strong, with TTM free cash flow up ~17.3% versus the prior period. Free cash flow fully covers net income (free cash flow to net income = 1.0), indicating good earnings cash conversion. A caution flag is the TTM operating cash flow coverage ratio shown as 0.0 (while prior years were >1), which likely reflects a data anomaly or a denominator issue and reduces visibility on that specific coverage measure.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue34.00B34.72B36.73B-2.69B64.45B60.60B
Gross Profit15.54B13.39B11.12B11.06B12.93B11.22B
EBITDA5.75B5.93B3.98B4.96B4.72B3.80B
Net Income4.17B4.07B2.87B3.73B3.26B3.08B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets858.68B802.16B713.23B701.46B630.49B600.49B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments0.0024.71B19.38B18.84B17.23B7.95B
Total Debt10.24B10.23B9.65B11.29B9.73B10.71B
Total Liabilities826.96B771.01B683.38B669.14B600.00B573.48B
Stockholders Equity28.56B29.54B26.84B29.01B27.22B24.03B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow5.02B4.75B5.20B7.05B10.37B9.61B
Operating Cash Flow5.02B4.75B5.20B7.05B10.37B9.61B
Investing Cash Flow-20.00M-408.00M-786.00M-5.49B-11.21B-8.20B
Financing Cash Flow-3.45B-2.29B-3.55B-620.00M-992.00M2.01B

Great-West Lifeco Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price67.42
Price Trends
50DMA
63.66
Positive
100DMA
59.35
Positive
200DMA
55.11
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
1.25
Positive
RSI
72.32
Negative
STOCH
77.54
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For TSE:GWO, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 67.42 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 66.89, above the 50-day MA of 63.66, and above the 200-day MA of 55.11, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.25 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 72.32 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 77.54 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for TSE:GWO.

Great-West Lifeco Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
81
Outperform
$59.72B8.5218.65%0.84%10.08%24.18%
79
Outperform
$85.45B16.3911.23%3.49%5.46%10.52%
78
Outperform
C$61.90B15.5415.09%3.62%-20.64%14.88%
76
Outperform
C$46.73B15.0313.24%3.28%-9.03%44.14%
73
Outperform
C$49.44B16.7016.27%1.86%2.51%44.44%
68
Neutral
C$48.48B16.4711.96%4.11%-19.88%-13.92%
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
TSE:GWO
Great-West Lifeco
67.42
22.99
51.74%
TSE:MFC
Manulife Financial
51.48
10.17
24.62%
TSE:SLF
Sun Life Financial
86.85
7.60
9.59%
TSE:FFH
Fairfax Financial Holdings
2,575.21
644.57
33.39%
TSE:IFC
Intact Financial Corporation
279.21
29.85
11.97%
TSE:POW
Power Corp of Canada
72.42
30.98
74.76%

Great-West Lifeco Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyDelistings and Listing Changes
Great-West Lifeco Announces Conversion Results for Series N Preferred Shares
Neutral
Dec 17, 2025

Great-West Lifeco Inc. announced the result of a conversion election for its Non-Cumulative 5-Year Rate Reset First Preferred Shares, Series N. Holders of 6,425 Series N Shares opted to convert their shares into Series O Shares on a one-for-one basis by December 31, 2025. However, due to insufficient conversions to meet the threshold for outstanding Series O Shares, no Series N Shares will be converted to Series O Shares, and written notice will be issued to stakeholders accordingly. This decision underscores operational clarity in managing share conversions and may affect stakeholders holding Series N Shares.

The most recent analyst rating on (TSE:GWO) stock is a Buy with a C$67.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Great-West Lifeco stock, see the TSE:GWO Stock Forecast page.

Dividends
Great-West Lifeco Sets Dividend Rates for Preferred Shares
Positive
Dec 2, 2025

Great-West Lifeco Inc. announced the dividend rates for its Non-Cumulative 5-Year Rate Reset First Preferred Shares, Series N, and Non-Cumulative Floating Rate First Preferred Shares, Series O. The fixed dividend rate for Series N Shares is set at 4.090% per annum for the five-year period starting December 31, 2025, while the floating rate for Series O Shares is 3.518% per annum for the period starting on the same date. This announcement provides clarity on the financial returns for investors holding these shares and underscores the company’s commitment to offering competitive financial products, potentially impacting its market positioning and attractiveness to investors.

The most recent analyst rating on (TSE:GWO) stock is a Buy with a C$67.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Great-West Lifeco stock, see the TSE:GWO Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and Strategy
Great-West Lifeco Offers Conversion Option for Series N Shares
Neutral
Nov 13, 2025

Great-West Lifeco announced that it will not redeem its Non-Cumulative 5-Year Rate Reset First Preferred Shares, Series N, on December 31, 2025. Instead, holders of these shares have the option to convert them into Non-Cumulative Floating Rate First Preferred Shares, Series O, subject to certain conditions. This decision provides shareholders with flexibility in managing their investments, potentially impacting the company’s financial structuring and market positioning.

The most recent analyst rating on (TSE:GWO) stock is a Buy with a C$67.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Great-West Lifeco stock, see the TSE:GWO Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial Disclosures
Great-West Lifeco Reports Strong Q3 2025 Earnings and Expands Share Buybacks
Positive
Nov 5, 2025

Great-West Lifeco Inc. reported significant financial growth in Q3 2025, with base earnings rising by 15% to $1.23 billion and net earnings increasing by 35% to $1.16 billion compared to the previous year. This performance was driven by strong growth in its U.S., Europe, and Capital and Risk Solutions businesses, supported by favorable market conditions and strategic business transformations. The company plans to increase share buybacks to $1.5 billion for the year, highlighting its robust capital generation and financial flexibility.

The most recent analyst rating on (TSE:GWO) stock is a Buy with a C$65.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Great-West Lifeco stock, see the TSE:GWO Stock Forecast page.

Financial Disclosures
Great-West Lifeco to Announce Q3 2025 Financial Results
Neutral
Oct 22, 2025

Great-West Lifeco Inc. will release its third quarter 2025 financial results after market close on November 5, with a conference call scheduled for November 6 to discuss the results. This announcement is significant for stakeholders as it provides insights into the company’s financial performance and strategic positioning in the financial services industry.

The most recent analyst rating on (TSE:GWO) stock is a Hold with a C$53.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Great-West Lifeco stock, see the TSE:GWO Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jan 04, 2026