Arlington Financial Advisors LLC Invests $313,000 in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC)

Arlington Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC - Free Report) TSE: MFC in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 10,062 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $313,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Manulife Financial by 60.1% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 741,764 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $21,919,000 after buying an additional 278,307 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Manulife Financial by 33.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $288,000 after buying an additional 2,376 shares during the last quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN grew its position in shares of Manulife Financial by 10.1% during the 4th quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 9,029 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $277,000 after acquiring an additional 831 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Manulife Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd bought a new position in shares of Manulife Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $590,000. 52.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Manulife Financial Stock Performance

MFC stock traded up $0.24 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $32.18. 460,548 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,123,274. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $30.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $30.55. Manulife Financial Co. has a 52 week low of $23.30 and a 52 week high of $33.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.12 billion, a PE ratio of 15.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.00.

Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC - Get Free Report) TSE: MFC last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.70 by ($0.01). Manulife Financial had a net margin of 10.08% and a return on equity of 15.98%. The business had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.94 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.3194 per share. This is a boost from Manulife Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.97%. Manulife Financial's payout ratio is presently 63.87%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MFC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Manulife Financial from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley set a $46.00 price target on shares of Manulife Financial in a report on Monday, May 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Manulife Financial presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $45.67.

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.