Analysts Set Manulife Financial Co. (TSE:MFC) Price Target at C$40.82

Shares of Manulife Financial Co. (TSE:MFC - Get Free Report) NYSE: MFC have been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation, eight have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$40.82.

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$41.00 to C$48.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Manulife Financial from C$42.00 to C$47.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Dbs Bank upgraded Manulife Financial to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. National Bankshares lifted their price objective on Manulife Financial from C$38.00 to C$43.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, TD Securities lifted their price objective on Manulife Financial from C$40.00 to C$41.00 in a research report on Friday, July 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Manulife Financial

In related news, Senior Officer Steve Finch sold 11,599 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$35.73, for a total value of C$414,439.23. In other Manulife Financial news, Director Matthew Lyman Macinnis sold 6,708 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$34.67, for a total value of C$232,566.36. Also, Senior Officer Steve Finch sold 11,599 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$35.73, for a total transaction of C$414,439.23. Insiders have sold 68,821 shares of company stock valued at $2,455,596 over the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Manulife Financial Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of Manulife Financial stock traded up C$0.46 on Friday, hitting C$41.13. The company had a trading volume of 6,667,287 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,395,125. The stock has a 50-day moving average of C$39.41 and a 200-day moving average of C$36.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.60, a current ratio of 36.68 and a quick ratio of 2.58. The firm has a market capitalization of C$72.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.06. Manulife Financial has a twelve month low of C$24.81 and a twelve month high of C$42.52.

Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC - Get Free Report) NYSE: MFC last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported C$0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of C$0.88 by C$0.03. The firm had revenue of C$12.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$12.27 billion. Manulife Financial had a net margin of 17.34% and a return on equity of 10.41%. Research analysts predict that Manulife Financial will post 3.6104452 earnings per share for the current year.

Manulife Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.89%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 21st. Manulife Financial's 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.