Demographics support this dividend

Article Excerpt

In the past few years, insurance giant Sun Life has expanded its operations in Asia. Specifically, it’s in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, and the region now contributes about 18% of earnings. The company also continues to benefit from the aging North American population, with rising demand for health insurance and wealth management services. We expect these factors to drive the company’s earnings—and your dividend—over the next several years. SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC. $84 is a buy. The stock (Toronto symbol SLF; Conservative-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 576.5 million; Market cap: $48.4 billion; Dividend yield: 4.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.sunlife.ca) lets investors tap Canada’s third-largest life insurance company by market cap after Manulife (No. 1) and Great-West Lifeco (No. 2). Sun Life has $1.52 trillion in assets under management and administration. With the December 31, 2024, payment, the company raises your quarterly dividend by 3.7%, to $0.84 a share from $0.81. The new annual rate of $3.36…