Good pick for Manulife

Article Excerpt

MANULIFE FINANCIAL, $45.41, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $79. billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.5%; www.manulife.ca) will see president and CEO Roy Gori retire in May 2025, with Phil Witherington then succeeding him. After he steps down, Gori will serve as an advisor through August 31, 2025, to support the transition. Witherington has been a member of Manulife’s executive leadership team since 2017, serving as CFO for five years before moving to his current role as president and CEO of Manulife Asia. Witherington’s role with Manulife Asia—plus his positions with KPMG in London and Hong Kong prior to joining the company—bodes well for Manulife’s prospects. That’s because markets outside of Canada—especially Asia (37% of earnings)—increasingly contribute to its overall growth. Manulife Financial is a buy. buy…