These Canadian insurers profit in Asia

Article Excerpt

MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP. $23.67 (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 2.0 billion; Market cap: $46.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.2%; www.manulife.ca) is Canada’s largest life insurer. The company also sells other forms of insurance, including health, dental and travel plans; in addition, it offers mutual funds and investment management services. As of March 31, 2019, Manulife had $1.1 trillion in assets under administration. In the quarter ended March 31, 2019, earnings jumped 18.8%, to $1.55 billion, or $0.76 a share, from $1.30 billion, or $0.64, a year earlier. The company’s earnings in Asia rose 20.6%, to $520 million from $431 million a year earlier. That was due to 12% annualized premium growth, with especially strong gains in Japan and Hong Kong. The U.S. saw a 20% increase in annualized premiums partly due to higher universal life sales. Manulife trades at only 8.6 times its forecast 2019 earnings of $2.76 a share. The company raised its quarterly dividend by 13.6%, with the December 2018 payment…