Hsbc Holdings PLC Boosts Stake in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC)

Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC - Free Report) TSE: MFC by 9.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,343,892 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 534,331 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned 0.37% of Manulife Financial worth $194,803,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MFC. Little House Capital LLC raised its position in Manulife Financial by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Little House Capital LLC now owns 33,767 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,037,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the period. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Manulife Financial by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 23,068 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $708,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH raised its position in shares of Manulife Financial by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 69,300 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,133,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. TIAA Trust National Association lifted its stake in Manulife Financial by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 8,419 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Addison Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Manulife Financial by 45.9% in the 4th quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 1,428 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 449 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.56% of the company's stock.

Manulife Financial Stock Up 1.0 %

NYSE:MFC traded up $0.31 on Monday, reaching $30.55. 485,364 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,231,609. Manulife Financial Co. has a 52-week low of $23.27 and a 52-week high of $33.07. The business has a fifty day moving average of $29.72 and a 200-day moving average of $30.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $52.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.89.

Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC - Get Free Report) TSE: MFC last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $9.31 billion during the quarter. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 15.98% and a net margin of 10.08%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th were paid a dividend of $0.3094 per share. This is a boost from Manulife Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.05%. Manulife Financial's payout ratio is presently 58.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MFC shares. Scotiabank restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Manulife Financial in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Manulife Financial from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $45.50.

About Manulife Financial

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.