Asia drives profits for these two insurers

Article Excerpt

SUN LIFE FINANCIAL $50.89 (Toronto symbol SLF; Shares outstanding: 613.7 million; Market cap: $31.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.6%; www.sunlife.ca) sells life insurance, savings, retirement and pension products. The company mainly operates in Canada, the U.S., Asia and the U.K. and has $933.6 billion in assets under management. In the quarter ended September 30, 2017, Sun Life’s earnings per share rose slightly, to $1.05 from $1.04 a year earlier. Canadian earnings fell 1.8%, due to higher death-related claims and lower investment gains. Sun Life continues to expand in Asia, where earnings rose 12.5% in the latest quarter. Demand for insurance is growing fast there as the middle class expands and the company continues to make profitable acquisitions in the region. In the quarter, U.S. earnings increased 19.3%. That reflects an increase in policy prices and better claims management. It also offset the overall shift in the U.S. mutual fund industry from active to passive investment strategies. That has lowered fees…