Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Dbs Bank

Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC) (NYSE:MFC) was upgraded by research analysts at Dbs Bank to a “strong-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Manulife Financial from C$40.00 to C$41.00 in a report on Friday, May 10th. CIBC lifted their price target on Manulife Financial from C$34.00 to C$36.00 in a research note on Friday, May 10th. National Bankshares lifted their price target on Manulife Financial from C$38.00 to C$43.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. TD Securities lifted their price target on Manulife Financial from C$40.00 to C$41.00 in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Finally, National Bank Financial raised Manulife Financial from a “sector perform market weight” rating to an “outperform market weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of C$38.64.

Manulife Financial Stock Performance

Shares of TSE:MFC traded up C$0.43 during trading on Thursday, hitting C$34.44. The stock had a trading volume of 6,059,671 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,368,004. Manulife Financial has a 12-month low of C$23.69 and a 12-month high of C$37.46. The stock has a market capitalization of C$61.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.56 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 2.58, a current ratio of 29.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.44. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$35.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$33.77.

Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC) (NYSE:MFC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The financial services provider reported C$0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.90 by C$0.04. The firm had revenue of C$12.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of C$12.13 billion. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 10.48% and a net margin of 18.29%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Manulife Financial will post 3.6078629 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Manulife Financial

In other news, Senior Officer Steve Finch sold 11,598 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$35.29, for a total value of C$409,293.42. In other news, Senior Officer Steve Finch sold 11,598 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$35.29, for a total value of C$409,293.42. Also, Director Philip James Witherington sold 97,640 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$35.17, for a total value of C$3,433,852.34. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 157,878 shares of company stock valued at $5,557,706. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.