13,345 Shares in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC) Purchased by Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC) (TSE:MFC) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 13,345 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $410,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Manulife Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. West Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Manulife Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Manulife Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Manulife Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC increased its stake in shares of Manulife Financial by 103.8% in the 3rd quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 715 shares during the last quarter. 52.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Manulife Financial Price Performance

Shares of MFC stock opened at $30.58 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $52.86 billion, a PE ratio of 14.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $31.32 and a 200-day moving average of $29.12. Manulife Financial Co. has a one year low of $20.78 and a one year high of $33.07.

Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC) (TSE:MFC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $10.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.73 billion. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 9.79%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.69 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were paid a $0.296 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 20th. This is a boost from Manulife Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.87%. Manulife Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 59.42%.

Manulife Financial 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.