Two Canadian insurers with bright futures

Article Excerpt

Insurers write policies, collect premiums from customers, and then invest those premiums to meet future claims. That need to cover claims means they invest significant amounts of their funds in fixed-income instruments, primarily bonds. That also means high interest rates are a boon to their returns. Both these insurance stocks offer investors growth prospects as well as high dividend yields. We see each as a buy. MANULIFE FINANCIAL, $35.34, is a buy. This safety-conscious stock (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $63.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 4.5%; www.manulife.ca) represents one of Canada’s largest life insurers. The company also sells other forms of insurance including health, dental and travel plans; Manulife’s mutual funds and investment management services further diversify its revenue stream. On March 31, 2024, the insurer had $1.45 trillion in assets under administration. Markets outside of Canada—especially Asia (37% of earnings)—increasingly contribute to Manulife’s growth­. In the quarter ended March 31, 2024, per-share earnings rose 19.0%, to $0.94 from $0.79. All…