Look for a big dividend hike in 2022

Article Excerpt

Due to pandemic uncertainty, in 2020 financial services regulators instructed insurance companies—and the big banks—to freeze their dividends. It’s likely regulators will lift those restrictions by the end of this year. Sun Life is in a particularly strong position to resume regular dividend hikes. The company’s recent acquisition of a U.S. dental insurance specialist also enhances its long-term prospects for income investors. SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC. $71 is a buy. The stock (Toronto symbol SLF; Conservative-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 585.8 million; Market cap: $41.6 billion; Dividend yield: 3.1%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.sunlife.ca) lets investors tap Canada’s third-largest life insurance company by market cap after Manulife (No. 1) and Great-West Lifeco (No. 2). Sun Life has $1.36 trillion in assets under management and administration. The insurer raised its quarterly dividend with the December 2019 payment. Investors now receive $0.55 a share, up 5.0% from $0.525. The annual rate of $2.20 yields 3.1%. The company’s payout ratio in the latest quarter was 37%. That’s…