Top Canadian insurers with gains ahead

Article Excerpt

Business—both in Canada and internationally—remains strong for our two top Canadian insurance recommendations. These two stocks have recovered all of the ground they lost in March 2020 with onset of the pandemic, and we think they are now poised to move even higher. Meanwhile, each insurer offers you solid, sustainable dividend yields. MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP., $25.00, is a buy. This safety-conscious blue-chip company (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $47.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.5%; www.manulife.ca) is Canada’s largest life insurer. Manulife sells other forms of insurance, including health, dental and travel plans; its mutual funds and investment management services further diversify its revenue stream. As of September 30, 2021, the company had $1.4 trillion in assets under administration. Increasingly, markets outside of Canada—especially Asia—contribute to its growth­. In the quarter ended September 30, 2021, earnings before unusual items rose 4.4%, to $1.52 billion, or $0.76 a share, from $1.45 billion, or $0.73, a year earlier. The rise reflects new business gains…