Canadian insurers for Finance sector gains ahead

Article Excerpt

Both these Canadian insurance stocks provide investors with growth prospects as well as current high dividend yields. We see each as a buy. MANULIFE FINANCIAL, $46.35, is a buy. This safety-conscious stock (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $78.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.8%; www.manulife.ca) represents one of Canada’s largest life insurers. It’s also a leading insurer in Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The company 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 December 31, 2024, the insurer had $1.6 trillion in assets under administration. Markets outside of Canada—especially Asia (37% of earnings)—increasingly contribute to Manulife’s growth­. In the quarter ended December 31, 2024, per-share earnings rose 12.0%, to $1.03 from $0.92. That gain was due to stronger earnings at its Canadian, Asian and global wealth and asset management businesses; they were only partly offset by weaker results in the U.S. The company bought back $3.3…