These top insurers offer you high yields

Article Excerpt

Business for our two top Canadian insurance recommendations remains strong, although COVID-19 has slowed their share-price growth. That reflects their drop in wealth management fees this spring as the pandemic hurt their client portfolios. The market downturn also hit their own extensive investment portfolios. However, both firms should rebound quickly once the coronavirus outbreak eases. That will lift the value of their portfolios and their shares. Meanwhile, each insurer offers you a high, sustainable dividend yield. MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP., $18.83, is a buy. This safety-conscious blue-chip company (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $35.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.9%; 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 March 31, 2020, the company had $1.2 trillion in assets under administration. Increasingly, markets outside of Canada—especially Asia—contribute to its growth­. In the quarter ended March 31, 2020, overall earnings before unusual…