Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average of $30.68

Manulife Financial Co. (TSE:MFC) (NYSE:MFC)’s share price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$30.68 and traded as high as C$36.39. Manulife Financial shares last traded at C$36.31, with a volume of 9,812,619 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MFC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$35.00 to C$40.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$34.00 to C$38.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 16th. TD Securities increased their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$37.00 to C$38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. National Bankshares raised shares of Manulife Financial from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from C$34.00 to C$38.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Finally, Evercore increased their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$36.00 to C$37.00 in a research report on Friday, May 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of C$37.30.

Manulife Financial Price Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average is C$33.43 and its 200 day moving average is C$30.72. The company has a current ratio of 29.14, a quick ratio of 2.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.44. The stock has a market capitalization of C$65.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.56 and a beta of 1.10.

Manulife Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 21st. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.41%. Manulife Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 68.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Manulife Financial

In other Manulife Financial news, Senior Officer Steve Finch sold 11,598 shares of Manulife Financial stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$35.29, for a total value of C$409,293.42. In other news, Director Rocco Gori sold 48,640 shares of Manulife Financial stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$35.25, for a total value of C$1,714,560.00. Also, Senior Officer Steve Finch sold 11,598 shares of Manulife Financial stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$35.29, for a total transaction of C$409,293.42. 0.02% 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.