7,106 Shares in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC) Bought by jvl associates llc

jvl associates llc acquired a new stake in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC) (TSE:MFC) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 7,106 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $218,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MFC. DGS Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Manulife Financial by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 51,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,536,000 after acquiring an additional 2,022 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Manulife Financial by 16.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,988,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $61,426,000 after acquiring an additional 279,418 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Manulife Financial during the 3rd quarter worth $119,000. World Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Manulife Financial by 30.1% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,351 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $365,000 after buying an additional 2,860 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 148.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 73,346 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,382,000 after acquiring an additional 43,877 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.56% of the company’s stock.

Manulife Financial Stock Performance

Shares of MFC traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $30.69. 360,793 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 608,600. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $31.30 and its 200-day moving average is $28.75. The company has a market cap of $53.44 billion, a PE ratio of 14.83, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.09. Manulife Financial Co. has a 52 week low of $20.78 and a 52 week high of $33.07.

Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC) (TSE:MFC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.30. Manulife Financial had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The company had revenue of $10.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.73 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.69 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 20th were paid a $0.296 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.86%. This is a boost from Manulife Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Manulife Financial’s payout ratio is presently 57.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Barclays initiated coverage on Manulife Financial in a report on Thursday, September 5th. They set an “equal weight” rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $37.50.

About Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in the United States, Canada, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; and Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment offers investment advice and solutions to retirement, retail, and institutional clients through multiple distribution channels, including agents and brokers affiliated with the company, independent securities brokerage firms and financial advisors pension plan consultants, and banks.