Dividend increase: Manulife

Article Excerpt

MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP. $24 (Toronto symbol MFC; Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio; Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 2.0 billion; Market cap: $48.0 billion; Dividend yield: 3.7%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.manulife.ca) is Canada’s largest life insurance provider. It also sells other forms of insurance, including health, dental and travel plans, as well as mutual funds and investment management services. Starting with the March 2018 payment, Manulife raised its quarterly dividend by 7.3%. Investors now receive $0.22 a share, up from $0.205. The new annual rate of $0.88 yields 3.7%. In the quarter ended December 31, 2017, earnings fell 6.3%, to $0.59 per share from $0.63 a year earlier. The decline reflects unusually high investment gains a year ago. Still, in the latest quarter, Manulife benefitted from Asia’s strong performance. There, its earnings rose 9%, with particularly strong insurance sales in Singapore and Vietnam. Manulife is a buy. For more information on Manulife, click HERE. HERE…