Lazard Asset Management LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Sun Life Financial Inc. $SLF

Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLFFree Report) (TSE:SLF) by 224.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,805 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,248 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Sun Life Financial were worth $1,742,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Sun Life Financial during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in Sun Life Financial by 68.4% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 411 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new stake in Sun Life Financial in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Sittner & Nelson LLC purchased a new stake in Sun Life Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Sun Life Financial during the first quarter valued at about $33,000. 52.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Sun Life Financial Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of SLF opened at $82.50 on Tuesday. Sun Life Financial Inc. has a 12-month low of $56.22 and a 12-month high of $84.38. The company has a market cap of $45.98 billion, a PE ratio of 21.26 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $78.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $70.46.

Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLFGet Free Report) (TSE:SLF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $6.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $925.99 million. Sun Life Financial had a net margin of 7.85% and a return on equity of 17.80%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.82 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 5.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 27th were issued a $0.96 dividend. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 27th. This is a positive change from Sun Life Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. Sun Life Financial’s payout ratio is currently 72.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Argus set a $81.00 target price on Sun Life Financial in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $84.67.

Read Our Latest Analysis on SLF

About Sun Life Financial

(Free Report)

Sun Life Financial Inc, founded in 1865 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, is an international financial services organization that provides a range of insurance, wealth management and asset management solutions. The company serves individual and institutional clients, offering products designed to protect against life and health risks, help clients save for retirement, and manage investments on behalf of customers and third parties.

Core business activities include life and health insurance, group benefits for employers, retirement and pension products, and wealth management services such as mutual funds and segregated fund solutions.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SLF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLFFree Report) (TSE:SLF).

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF)

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