National Bankshares Issues Positive Forecast for Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC) Stock Price

Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC) (NYSE:MFC) had its price target upped by National Bankshares from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,BayStreet.CA reports.

MFC has been the subject of several other reports. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Manulife Financial from C$41.00 to C$48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. CIBC upped their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$36.00 to C$42.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Barclays set a C$39.00 price target on Manulife Financial and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Manulife Financial from C$42.00 to C$47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Dbs Bank raised shares of Manulife Financial to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of C$41.82.

Manulife Financial Stock Performance

Shares of MFC traded down C$0.60 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching C$44.16. 644,967 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,368,353. The stock has a market capitalization of C$78.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 2.58, a current ratio of 36.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.60. The business has a fifty day moving average price of C$39.84 and a 200-day moving average price of C$36.88. Manulife Financial has a 12-month low of C$25.39 and a 12-month high of C$45.68.

Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC) (NYSE:MFC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported C$0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of C$0.88 by C$0.03. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 10.41% and a net margin of 17.34%. The business had revenue of C$12.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$12.27 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that Manulife Financial will post 3.6104452 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Manulife Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.62%. Manulife Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.09%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Tin Ku sold 2,166 shares of Manulife Financial stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$37.45, for a total value of C$81,116.70. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately C$9,474.85. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. In other Manulife Financial news, Director Matthew Lyman Macinnis sold 6,708 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$34.67, for a total value of C$232,566.36. Also, Director Tin Ku sold 2,166 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$37.45, for a total value of C$81,116.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 253 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$9,474.85. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 68,821 shares of company stock valued at $2,455,596. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.