Manulife Financial Co. (TSE:MFC) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Manulife Financial Co. (TSE:MFC - Get Free Report) NYSE: MFC has been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$44.09.

MFC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. National Bankshares raised their target price on Manulife Financial from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$40.00 to C$47.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. TD Securities upped their target price on shares of Manulife Financial from C$45.00 to C$48.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of Manulife Financial from C$48.00 to C$49.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$42.00 to C$47.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th.

Insider Transactions at Manulife Financial

In other Manulife Financial news, Senior Officer Steve Finch sold 11,598 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$46.07, for a total transaction of C$534,308.26. Also, Senior Officer James D. Gallagher sold 57,064 shares of Manulife Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$44.80, for a total transaction of C$2,556,638.39. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 77,771 shares of company stock valued at $3,508,584. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Manulife Financial Stock Performance

Shares of TSE:MFC traded up C$1.18 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting C$43.98. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,352,578 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,393,666. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.60, a quick ratio of 2.58 and a current ratio of 36.68. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is C$44.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$40.18. The stock has a market capitalization of C$77.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.71, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.06. Manulife Financial has a fifty-two week low of C$28.06 and a fifty-two week high of C$46.42.

Manulife Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.64%. Manulife Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 68.09%.

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.