Manulife Financial Co. (TSE:MFC) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Manulife Financial Co. (TSE:MFC - Get Free Report) NYSE: MFC has been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$43.45.

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. TD Securities raised their price objective 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. Cormark lifted their price target on shares of Manulife Financial from C$47.00 to C$48.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Scotiabank upped their price target on Manulife Financial from C$48.00 to C$49.00 in a report on Friday, November 8th. CIBC raised their price objective on Manulife Financial from C$42.00 to C$46.00 in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, National Bankshares boosted their target price on Manulife Financial from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 7th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Manulife Financial news, Director Anthony Alex Silva sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$45.22, for a total value of C$45,218.70. Also, 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. Insiders have sold 77,771 shares of company stock valued at $3,508,584 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Manulife Financial Price Performance

Manulife Financial stock traded up C$0.20 during midday trading on Friday, reaching C$43.53. The company's stock had a trading volume of 14,470,640 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,527,813. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.60, a quick ratio of 2.58 and a current ratio of 36.68. Manulife Financial has a fifty-two week low of C$28.06 and a fifty-two week high of C$46.42. The firm has a market capitalization of C$77.05 billion, a PE ratio of 18.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.06. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is C$43.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$39.14.

Manulife Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.68%. Manulife Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.09%.

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.