Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF - Get Free Report) TSE: SLF has been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the five research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $88.00.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on SLF shares. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Sun Life Financial from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Scotiabank reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Monday, May 12th.

Institutional Trading of Sun Life Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SLF. Investment Management Corp VA ADV raised its holdings in Sun Life Financial by 164.5% during the 1st quarter. Investment Management Corp VA ADV now owns 619 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 385 shares during the period. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Sun Life Financial by 53.2% in the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 665 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. BankPlus Trust Department bought a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial during the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Sun Life Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Sun Life Financial by 4,657.1% in the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 999 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 978 shares during the period. 52.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sun Life Financial Stock Up 0.5%

Sun Life Financial stock opened at $65.12 on Wednesday. Sun Life Financial has a 52 week low of $46.41 and a 52 week high of $65.56. The company's 50 day moving average price is $62.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $59.02. The stock has a market cap of $36.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.92.

Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF - Get Free Report) TSE: SLF last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.44 billion. Sun Life Financial had a return on equity of 17.33% and a net margin of 7.47%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.40 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Sun Life Financial will post 5.19 EPS for the current year.

Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 28th will be paid a $0.6332 dividend. This is an increase from Sun Life Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 28th. This represents a $2.53 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.89%. Sun Life Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 64.89%.

Sun Life Financial Company Profile

Sun Life Financial Inc, a financial services company, provides savings, retirement, and pension products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: Asset Management, Canada, U.S., Asia, and Corporate. It offers various insurance products, such as term and permanent life; personal health, which includes prescription drugs, dental, and vision care; critical illness; long-term care; and disability, as well as reinsurance.

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