Guide to buying Great-West Lifeco stock in Canada

Great-West Lifeco is an insurance - life business based in Canada. Great-West Lifeco stocks (GWO) are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and all prices are listed in Canadian Dollars.

Great-West Lifeco employs 33,250 staff and has a trailing 12-month revenue of around C$35.8 billion.

Keep reading to see up-to-date Great-West Lifeco stock price and performance data, along with a step-by-step guide for how to buy Great-West Lifeco stock in Canada.

Great-West Lifeco (GWO) stock summary

Company stock name	Great-West Lifeco Inc.
Stock ticker symbol	GWO
Exchange	Toronto Stock Exchange
52-week stock price range	C$42.96 – C$66.82
Where to buy Great-West Lifeco stock	Buy on CIBC Investor's Edge

All amounts in this table are in CAD.

Can I buy Great-West Lifeco stock in Canada?

Yes, you can buy Great-West Lifeco stock in Canada. You simply need to open a brokerage account with an online trading platform that supports stocks on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) exchange. Platforms like Interactive Brokers will allow you to directly buy Great-West Lifeco stock from within Canada.

Dive deeper: Detailed guide on how to buy stocks in Canada

Our top picks for where to buy Great-West Lifeco stock

Great-West Lifeco stock chart (Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX): GWO)

This chart tracks Great-West Lifeco stock price performance over time.

Great-West Lifeco stock price

We'll update this guide as more Great-West Lifeco stock information becomes available.

Is Great-West Lifeco stock a buy or sell right now?

The technical analysis gauge above shows real-time buy or sell ratings and analysis for Great-West Lifeco stock based on your selected timeframe. It uses three widely followed indicators—moving averages, oscillators and pivots—but this does not represent investment advice or a guarantee of success. Finder may not concur with these signals and accepts no responsibility for the performance of your stocks.

Can I buy Great-West Lifeco stock on the TSX?

No, you cannot buy Great-West Lifeco stock on the TSX because Great-West Lifeco stock is not listed on the TSX. Instead, Great-West Lifeco stock is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "GWO."

That said, if you're wondering how to invest in Great-West Lifeco stock in Canada, you still have the option to do so by opening a trading account with a Canadian brokerage that gives you access to Toronto Stock Exchange, like Interactive Brokers.

Dive deeper: Our picks for the best stocks to buy right now in Canada

Great-West Lifeco stock dividends

Great-West Lifeco dividend payout ratio: 50% of net profits

Recently Great-West Lifeco has paid out, on average, around 50% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 3.69% of the current stock value.

This means that, over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), Great-West Lifeco shareholders could enjoy a 3.69% return on their shares in the form of dividend payments. In Great-West Lifeco's case, that would currently equate to about C$2.39 per share.

Great-West Lifeco's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.

Great-West Lifeco's next dividend payout is expected around December 31, 2025. To benefit, you'll need to buy Great-West Lifeco stocks before December 3, 2025 (the "ex-dividend date").

Great-West Lifeco stock performance metrics

Here are some common key metrics for Great-West Lifeco stock that analysts often use to help gauge a stock's value—P/E ratio, PEG ratio and EBITDA.

• Great-West Lifeco's P/E ratio

  Great-West Lifeco's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over the past 12 months gives a trailing price/earnings (P/E) ratio of roughly 15x. In other words, Great-West Lifeco shares trade at around 15 times recent earnings.

• Great-West Lifeco's PEG ratio

  Great-West Lifeco's price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio is calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its earnings growth, which comes out to about 2.282. A lower ratio can suggest a stock offers better value, while a higher ratio may suggest worse value.

  The PEG ratio provides a broader view than the P/E ratio alone, as it factors in Great-West Lifeco's expected earnings growth. By accounting for growth, investors can use the PEG ratio to compare the valuations of multiple high-growth companies.

• Great-West Lifeco's EBITDA

  Great-West Lifeco's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) is C$9.8 billion. EBITDA is a measure of a company's overall financial performance and is often used as a proxy for a company's profitability.

Has Great-West Lifeco stock ever split?

Great-West Lifeco's stocks were split on a 2:1 basis on October 3, 2004. So, if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Great-West Lifeco stocks, just the quantity.

However, indirectly, the new 50% lower stock price could have impacted the market appetite for Great-West Lifeco stocks, which in turn could have impacted Great-West Lifeco's stock price.

How volatile is Great-West Lifeco stock?

Over the last 12 months, Great-West Lifeco's stocks price has ranged from C$42.96 to as high as C$66.82. Great-West Lifeco's beta measurement of stock volatility is 0.74. For comparison, the market (Toronto Stock Exchange) average beta is 1. This would suggest that Great-West Lifeco's stocks are less volatile than average (on this exchange).

Some analysists use "beta" to gauge a stock's volatility. Beta is a popular way to measure a stocks volatility in relation to the market. Here is a breakdown of Great-West Lifeco's beta stock volatility rating.

Great-West Lifeco company and revenue performance

Market Capitalization The total market value of Great-West Lifeco's outstanding shares	C$61.8 billion
Gross profit (TTM)	C$17.2 billion
Operating margin (TTM)	17.92%
Profit margin	11.65%
Revenue (TTM)	C$35.8 billion
Return on assets (TTM)	0.71%
Return on equity (TTM)	13.03%
Earnings per share (TTM)	C$4.36
50-day moving stock price average The average share price over the last 50 days	C$61.00
200-day moving stock price average The average share price over the last 200 days	C$54.86

All dollar amounts in this table are in CAD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on December 14, 2025.

Great-West Lifeco company profile

Great-West Lifeco Inc. engages in the life and health insurance, retirement savings, wealth and 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 savings, income and annuity products, and other specialty products to individuals, families, businesses, and organizations.

It provides individual product solutions and employer-sponsored retirement savings plans that offers saving, investment, and advisory services; wealth management including payout annuity, equity release mortgages, pensions, and investments products. In addition, the company offers bulk and individual payout annuities, equity release mortgages, life bonds, and retirement drawdown and pension products; savings and investments; and provides asset management services, such as pension schemes, insurance companies, wealth managers, fiduciary managers, and sovereign wealth funds, as well manages assets for third-party institutional clients.

Further, it provides life, annuity/longevity, mortgage surety, and property catastrophe reinsurance products. The company offers its products under the Canada Life, Irish Life, and Empower brand names.

It distributes its products through a network of sales force, brokers, consultants, advisors, third-party administrators, financial institutions, dealers, managing general agencies, employee benefit consultants, banks, and multi-tied agents.

• Common company-related questions about Great-West Lifeco

  What percentage of Great-West Lifeco is owned by insiders or institutions?
  Currently 72.308% of Great-West Lifeco stocks are held by insiders and 9.727% by institutions.

  How many people work for Great-West Lifeco?
  Latest data suggests 33,250 work at Great-West Lifeco.

  When does the fiscal year end for Great-West Lifeco?
  Great-West Lifeco's fiscal year ends in December.

  Where is Great-West Lifeco based?
  Great-West Lifeco's address is: 100 Osborne Street North, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3C 1V3

  What is Great-West Lifeco's ISIN number?
  Great-West Lifeco's international securities identification number is: CA39138C1068

  What is Great-West Lifeco's CUSIP number?
  Great-West Lifeco's Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures number is: 39138C106

Compare trading platforms to buy Great-West Lifeco stock

Compare special offers, low fees and a wide range of investment options among popular trading platforms in Canada. Note that the dollar amounts in the table below are in CAD.

Related: Compare the best stock trading platforms in Canada

Do I have to pay tax on gains from Great-West Lifeco stock sales in Canada?

Yes, you'll need to pay taxes in Canada on investment income, which includes any profit from selling Great-West Lifeco stock. The CRA taxes investment income from stocks in Canada based on three main factors:

1. Investment income. Investment income includes money earned from interest, dividends or capital gains, which may affect how much you have to pay in taxes on stock sales in Canada.
2. Investor type. Your investment income will be taxed differently depending on whether you're a regular investor or a day trader (which means you buy and trade stocks on a daily basis as your primary form of income).
3. Tax bracket. The higher your tax bracket, the more you'll pay on income from stock sales. Your tax bracket depends on your gross income (minus deductions).

You can learn more about the tax implications of selling stocks in Canada here.

Frequently asked questions about Great-West Lifeco stock

• Can I buy Great-West Lifeco stock directly as a Canadian investor?

  Yes, Canadian investors can buy Great-West Lifeco stock directly through various online brokerage platforms available in Canada. You can compare trading platform options and fees for buying Great-West Lifeco stock in our table here.

• Can Canadians buy American stocks?

  Yes, Canadians can buy American stocks through Canadian trading platforms that give access to American stock exchanges such as the NYSE and Nasdaq. The good news is that most Canadian brokerage platforms, like Questrade, Interactive Brokers, Moomoo and Wealthsimple, give access to US exchanges. Read our full guide on how to buy US stocks in Canada to learn more.

• Can I buy fractional shares of Great-West Lifeco stock?

  Yes, it may be possible to buy fractional shares of Great-West Lifeco stock depending on the trading platform you're signed up with. Fractional shares can allow you to invest in Great-West Lifeco stock even when you can't afford its full share price. You can read our full guide to how fractional shares work to learn more.

  The table below shows trading apps in Canada that offer fractional shares:

  4 of 4 results

  Finder Score	Available Asset Types	Account Types	Stock Trading Fee	Monthly Account Fee	Rebate
  Promoted Finder Score 8.8 Great Interactive Brokers	Finder Score 8.8 Great	Stocks, Bonds, Options, Index Funds, ETFs, Forex, Currencies, Futures	RRSP, TFSA, Personal, Joint	min $1.00, max 0.5%	$0	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
  Finder Score 7.4 Great Moomoo Financial Canada	Finder Score 7.4 Great	Stocks, Options, ETFs	RRSP, TFSA, Personal, FHSA	$1.49/stock	$0	Get up to $4,600 in trading perks. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
  Finder Rewards Exclusive Finder Score 7.4 Great Moomoo test	Finder Score 7.4 Great	Stocks, Options, ETFs	RRSP, TFSA, Personal, FHSA	$1.49/stock	$0	ENDS SOON! $100 title 1 bullet1 2 bullet2 3 bullet3 Ends by. term& conditions	Get up to $4,600 in trading perks. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
  Finder Score 9.1 Excellent Questrade	Finder Score 9.1 Excellent	Stocks, Bonds, Options, Mutual Funds, Index Funds, ETFs, Forex, GICs, Precious Metals, IPOs	RRSP, RESP, RRIF, TFSA, Personal, Joint, FHSA	$0	$0	Get free contracts, no commissions and a 30 day free trial of Questrade Plus. Use offer code FREEOPTIONS. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading

  loading

  Load More

  Showing 4 of 4 results

  Finder Score for stock trading platforms

  To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Trading costs, account fees and features across 10+ stock trading platforms and apps are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score, the better the platform—it's that simple.

  Read the full methodology

Related: New to stock trading? Compare brokers and get tips for investing.

Important information: Powered by Finder.com. This information is general in nature and is no substitute for professional advice. It does not take into account your personal situation. This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for most investors. You do not own or have any interest in the underlying asset. Capital is at risk, including the risk of losing more than the amount originally put in, market volatility and liquidity risks. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Tax on profits may apply. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination for the product on the provider's website. Consider your own circumstances, including whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and possess the relevant experience and knowledge. We recommend that you obtain independent advice from a suitably licensed financial advisor before making any trades.