DGS Capital Management LLC Has $997,000 Stake in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC)

DGS Capital Management LLC raised its position in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC) (TSE:MFC) by 5.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 45,093 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,260 shares during the quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Manulife Financial were worth $997,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MFC. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Manulife Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Manulife Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Manulife Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Trust Co. of Vermont increased its position in shares of Manulife Financial by 478.5% in the third quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 1,533 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,268 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Manulife Financial in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.56% of the company’s stock.

Manulife Financial Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:MFC traded down $0.22 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $22.76. 677,409 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,312,119. Manulife Financial Co. has a 12 month low of $17.07 and a 12 month high of $25.14. The firm has a market cap of $40.99 billion, a PE ratio of 11.91, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.08. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $23.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.34.

Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC) (TSE:MFC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.05. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 15.98% and a net margin of 10.42%. The company had revenue of $10.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.57 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 28th were issued a dividend of $0.298 per share. This represents a $1.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 27th. This is a boost from Manulife Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Manulife Financial’s payout ratio is currently 61.66%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on MFC shares. TheStreet raised Manulife Financial from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 21st. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Manulife Financial from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $31.00 to $35.00 in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Desjardins upgraded Manulife Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Manulife Financial in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.33.

Manulife Financial 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.