Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA Sells 288,916 Shares of Sun Life Financial Inc. $SLF

Key Points

• Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA cut its Sun Life Financial stake by 62.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 288,916 shares and leaving it with 170,360 shares valued at about $10.63 million.
• Sun Life posted better-than-expected quarterly results, reporting EPS of $1.38 versus the $1.35 consensus estimate, while analysts expect full-year EPS of about 5.7.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.96 per share, implying an annualized payout of $3.84 and a yield of 5.5%, and also signaled plans to renew its share buyback program.

Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA lessened its holdings in Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF - Free Report) TSE: SLF by 62.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 170,360 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 288,916 shares during the period. Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA's holdings in Sun Life Financial were worth $10,630,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sun Life Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $244,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Sun Life Financial by 113.8% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,022 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $454,000 after purchasing an additional 4,270 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Sun Life Financial in the second quarter worth about $204,000. Prudential Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Sun Life Financial in the second quarter worth about $232,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Sun Life Financial by 66.4% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,734 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $115,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on SLF. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Sun Life Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, March 8th. Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, National Bank Financial raised shares of Sun Life Financial from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $86.50.

Sun Life Financial Stock Performance

NYSE:SLF opened at $70.06 on Monday. Sun Life Financial Inc. has a one year low of $56.22 and a one year high of $74.16. The firm has a market cap of $38.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.06 and a beta of 0.91. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $66.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $63.35.

Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF - Get Free Report) TSE: SLF last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $925.99 million. Sun Life Financial had a net margin of 7.85% and a return on equity of 17.78%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.82 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 27th will be paid a $0.96 dividend. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.5%. This is a positive change from Sun Life Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 27th. Sun Life Financial's payout ratio is presently 72.68%.

Key Sun Life Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting Sun Life Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported Q1 2026 EPS of $1.38, ahead of analyst estimates, with strong operating performance in key business segments. Sun Life Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Raised its quarterly common dividend to $0.96 per share, signaling confidence in cash generation and capital strength. Sun Life increases Common Share dividend and declares dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Q2 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Announced plans to renew its share buyback program, which can support earnings per share and provide an additional return of capital to shareholders. Sun Life Announces Intention to Renew Normal Course Issuer Bid
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders approved Sun Life’s full slate of 13 directors at the May 2026 annual meeting, removing governance uncertainty but not materially changing the operating outlook. Sun Life announces election of directors

Sun Life Financial Profile

Sun Life Financial Inc, founded in 1865 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, is an international financial services organization that provides a range of insurance, wealth management and asset management solutions. The company serves individual and institutional clients, offering products designed to protect against life and health risks, help clients save for retirement, and manage investments on behalf of customers and third parties.

Core business activities include life and health insurance, group benefits for employers, retirement and pension products, and wealth management services such as mutual funds and segregated fund solutions.

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