Manulife Finl Stock Price, News & Analysis

Manulife Financial (MFC) has announced dividend rates for its Non-cumulative Rate Reset Class 1 Shares Series 19 and Non-cumulative Floating Rate Class 1 Shares Series 20. For Series 19 Preferred Shares outstanding after March 19, 2025, holders will receive fixed rate non-cumulative preferential cash dividends quarterly at 5.16900% per annum ($0.323063 per share per quarter) for the period from March 20, 2025, to March 19, 2030.

For Series 20 Preferred Shares, holders will receive floating rate dividends quarterly. The initial rate for March 20, 2025, to June 19, 2025, will be 1.29430% (5.13500% annualized) or $0.323575 per share. The Toronto Stock Exchange has conditionally approved listing Series 20 Preferred Shares under symbol MFC.PR.S. Beneficial owners of Series 19 shares can exercise conversion rights through their broker by March 4, 2025, 5:00 p.m. Toronto time.

Manulife Financial (MFC) has announced it will not exercise its right to redeem its 10,000,000 Non-cumulative Rate Reset Class 1 Shares Series 19 on March 19, 2025. Instead, shareholders have the option to convert their Series 19 Preferred Shares to Series 20 Preferred Shares on a one-for-one basis.

Key conversion conditions include automatic conversion if less than 1,000,000 Series 19 Preferred Shares would remain outstanding, or no conversion if less than 1,000,000 Series 20 Preferred Shares would result. The Toronto Stock Exchange has conditionally approved listing of Series 20 Preferred Shares under the symbol 'MFC.PR.S'.

Dividend rates for both series will be announced on February 18, 2025. Shareholders wishing to convert must instruct their broker before 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on March 4, 2025.

Manulife Financial (TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC) has announced it will release its fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results after market close on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. The company will host a live webcast and conference call on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. ET, where executive leadership will discuss results and conduct a Q&A session with analysts.

The conference call can be accessed via 1-800-806-5484 or 1-416-340-2217 (Passcode: 8414068#). The archived webcast will be available on Manulife's investor website, and a replay will be accessible until March 22, 2025, by calling 1-800-408-3053 or 1-905-694-9451 (Passcode: 7315507#).

Manulife Investment Management has announced the final close of its Manulife Forest Climate Fund with $480.1 million in commitments from U.S. investors, corporates, and global institutional investors. The fund aims to promote climate change mitigation through sustainably managed forests, prioritizing carbon sequestration over timber production.

The fund has already acquired over 150,000 acres and is approaching 50% deployment, with three key acquisitions: Eagle Cap in Oregon/Washington, Siscowet in Michigan, and Oak Bluff across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. The fund targets sequestering over 6 million tons of carbon dioxide over its term, offering investors high-quality carbon credits with annual optionality for in-kind distributions or offset sales.

As the world's leading timberland investment manager with over five million acres under management, Manulife IM continues to expand its $100 billion diversified private markets platform, focusing on natural climate solutions to drive impact and results for clients.

Manulife Investment Management (MFC) has appointed Ryan Hanna as Global Chief Operating Officer of Private Markets. Hanna will oversee the company's $100 billion diversified private markets platform, which includes infrastructure, real estate, private equity, private credit, timberland, and agriculture investments.

Based in New York and reporting to Anne Valentine Andrews, Global Head of Private Markets, Hanna brings nearly two decades of experience to the role. He will focus on scaling Manulife IM's private markets business and implementing strategic growth initiatives. Previously, Hanna held senior positions at GCM Grosvenor, including co-head of the Global Client Group, where he managed capital formation, investor relations, and platform expansion.

The appointment aligns with Manulife IM's commitment to expanding its global private markets platform to meet increasing demand from institutional and individual investors seeking portfolio diversification through private market investments.

Manulife (MFC) has successfully completed its previously announced reinsurance transaction with Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), covering two blocks of legacy business, including a younger block of long-term care (LTC) insurance. This marks Manulife's second significant LTC reinsurance transaction, demonstrating the company's prudent approach to LTC reserves and assumptions.

According to CEO Roy Gori, this strategic move aligns with Manulife's commitment to enhancing shareholder value and restructuring its portfolio towards higher returns with lower risk profiles. The company has now successfully reinsured both mature and younger LTC blocks.

John Hancock Investment Management, a Manulife Wealth and Asset Management company (MFC), has launched two new actively managed ETFs: John Hancock Core Bond ETF (JHCR) and John Hancock Core Plus Bond ETF (JHCP). Both ETFs are subadvised by Manulife Investment Management and managed by the U.S. Core and Core-Plus Fixed Income team with nearly 50 years of combined experience.

JHCR aims for high current income with capital preservation, while JHCP seeks high current income with prudent investment risk. The company's ETF suite now totals 16 funds with over $7.3 billion in assets under management, covering various investment strategies including preferred income, mortgage-backed securities, bonds, and equity portfolios.

Manulife Financial has announced the Board's decision to re-appoint Ernst & Young LLP (EY) as its external auditor following a comprehensive tender process conducted in 2024. The selection process evaluated submissions from EY and two other global audit firms, with oversight from the Board's Audit Committee.

The decision came after Manulife's 2021 announcement to conduct an audit tender following the first annual audit cycle post-IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts adoption. EY's selection was based on their independence, commitment to audit quality, and their global team's qualifications suited to Manulife's complex business. The formal appointment will be submitted for shareholder approval at the Annual Meeting.

Manulife has issued a warning to investors regarding an unsolicited mini-tender offer from New York Stock and Bond to purchase up to 50,000 Manulife common shares (less than 0.003% of outstanding shares) at USD$12.50 per share. The company emphasizes that this offer represents a significant discount of approximately 61% below current market prices on both TSX and NYSE.

The company highlights that mini-tender offers, which target less than 5% of outstanding shares, often bypass standard securities regulations disclosure requirements. Both the Canadian Securities Administrators and SEC have expressed concerns about such offers, particularly regarding investors potentially accepting without understanding the price disparity with market values.