Forsta AP Fonden Sells 28,900 Shares of Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC)

Forsta AP Fonden decreased its position in shares of Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC - Free Report) TSE: MFC by 5.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 537,400 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 28,900 shares during the period. Forsta AP Fonden's holdings in Manulife Financial were worth $16,501,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. CKW Financial Group bought a new stake in shares of Manulife Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new position in Manulife Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $138,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Manulife Financial by 30.2% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 29,822 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $881,000 after buying an additional 6,919 shares during the period. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Manulife Financial during the fourth quarter worth $350,000. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Manulife Financial by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC now owns 15,039 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $462,000 after acquiring an additional 1,081 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 52.56% of the company's stock.

Manulife Financial Stock Up 0.9 %

MFC stock traded up $0.28 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $30.67. The stock had a trading volume of 153,815 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,622,431. The firm has a market cap of $53.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.82, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.09. Manulife Financial Co. has a twelve month low of $21.54 and a twelve month high of $33.07. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.31.

Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC - Get Free Report) TSE: MFC last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $10.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.73 billion. Manulife Financial had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 16.11%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.69 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were paid a $0.296 dividend. This is a positive change from Manulife Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.86%. Manulife Financial's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.42%.

Manulife Financial Company Profile

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.