These insurers continue to reward investors

Article Excerpt

SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC. $50 (Toronto symbol SLF; Conservative- Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 597.2 million; Market cap: $29.9 billion; Dividend yield: 4.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.sunlife.ca) is Canada’s third-largest life insurance company by market cap, behind Manulife Financial (No. 1) and Great-West Lifeco (No. 2). With the December 2018 payment, Sun Life raised its quarterly dividend by 5.3%, to $0.50 a share from $0.475. The new annual rate of $2.00 yields a high 4.0%. The company’s payout ratio in the fourth quarter was 42%, well within its medium-term goal of 40% to 50%. In the three months ended December 31, 2018, earnings were $718 million. That’s up 12.0% from $641 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 13.3%, to $1.19 from $1.05, on fewer shares outstanding. Sun Life’s assets under management fell 2.4%, to $951.1 billion as of December 31, 2018, from $974.8 billion a year earlier. Lower inflows to its mutual funds and lower stock prices offset favourable…