Manulife Financial (MFC.TO) Buy, Sell or Hold

Home

Daily Stock Opinions and Ratings

Manulife Financial (MFC.TO)

54.16

+0.66 (1.23%)

as of Jun 5, 2026, 3:33:54 pm Market Open.

1636 watching

Investor Insights

Jun 5, 2026, 12:00 am

This summary was created by AI, based on 27 opinions in the last 12 months.

Manulife Financial (MFC) is viewed positively by several analysts, who note its solid growth in Asia and the wealth management sector. The company is seen as a stable and reliable option, with a decent dividend yield that appeals to income-focused investors. Analysts acknowledge that while MFC has experienced some recent challenges, especially in its U.S. operations and corrections after strong performances, it maintains a healthy growth outlook. Concerns about the overall market and macroeconomic factors have led to suggestions of caution, but many believe MFC's valuation is still attractive relative to its peers, particularly the banks. In the long term, it remains a compelling investment opportunity with the potential for growth, other factors such as credit risk being minimal.

Consensus

Positive

Valuation

Fair Value

Similar

SLF

TOP PICK

He liked this around $18. He does not know why it has been a laggard for so long. If are really are in a full recovery, assets values in personal wealth should recover -- although he is a little skeptical. You would be well served owning it below $20. Yield 5.82% (Analysts’ price target is $22.22)

BUY

Low interest rates are not great for insurance companies. He thinks the risks are priced in. He thinks it will get a tail wind with the rest of the financials playing catch-up to the markets.

HOLD

It has been a frustrating stock going back to '08/'09. He feels it is undervalued. It's like the banks where investors have concerns about the financial sector. Some of the concerns are real and MFC-T just gets lumped into it. This is a stock you would buy and hold for a long term, so at current levels it is not a bad opportunity.

WEAK BUY

It's trading near its 8-year low. MFC is most responsive to changes in equity markets. It's trading now at price-to-book of 0.6x, so you could probably buy it now and be fine, but an American one has sold off as much, but isn't enduring a restructuring like MFC. He prefers Lincoln National in the US where there is also insider buying. MFC doesn't have insider buying.

DON'T BUY

You want to buy companies that are good and getting better and thriving in the current environment. The difficulty with financials is that they are dependent on the environment going forward. If it was going to be a quick recovery it would be okay but the market is not telling you that. Buy it when the stock market is going to take off, or when the long term rates are about to move up a bunch. The insurance sector as a whole is under some pressure.

HOLD

China exposure? All the Canadian life companies reported earnings last week. As they collect premiums up front and invest in bonds, etc. until they need to payout, they are now at risk to losses on those investments. She feels MFC is emerging from this much better than back in 2008 and thinks the balance sheet is much stronger. She owns it and will continue to do so. Their Asian market exposure offers a great long term opportunity.

DON'T BUY

He would stay clear of this. The market is saying there is something wrong with the balance sheet. You would be better off looking for better quality companies.

DON'T BUY

MFC-T vs. SLF-T. He would not jump from one to the other unless you have some great knowledge. They are facing lots of headwinds from low interest rates. MFC-T never recovered from the financial crisis. He is not interested in owning the lifecos except BRK-N.

BUY

Dividend safe? He likes and owns MFC. The yield is juicy as the stock price has fallen -- about 6.6%. He thinks it is secure and the payout ratio is expected to be about 45%. It has a strong credit rating. It will face issues with the outlook for their investment business in bonds and mortgages. The re-investment yields are much lower today. Their wealth asset management business will likely be negatively impacted as well. He still seems them as a leader in the space. Earnings have grown at 9% annually and he thinks that will return. It trades at only 6 times earnings. He would buy today.

COMMENT

MFC vs SLF He sees a lot of value in the insurance sector. He owns MFC, but there is no flaw in holding SLF either. MFC has growth focused on Asia. Both are undervalued at about 7 times earnings.

BUY

The revised earnings are a little down tick but not terrifying. The dividend appears to be safe and the PE ratio looks like a bargain. He really likes this stock. It has a lot of upside if there are no nasty surprises in their numbers.

WATCH

You have the insurance side and the investment side. The latter is going to be very challenging for insurance companies because of where interest rates are. Watch the investment side closely. The insurance side is doing quite well.

PARTIAL BUY

Dividend safe? He did sell some earlier this year, but it's still a core position. The low interest rates kill their balance sheet. But the good news is that they have potential for growth in Asia as Asia returns to speed. The dividend is safe. It's a tricky balancing act. Generally, don't over-lever anything now. We have to get through this period before the sun shines--and the sun will shine again. You can buy this, but don't overweight any stock.

WATCH

These insurers get hit on all sides. It has gone below his EBV -3, which is 'in the blue'. Their balance sheet is impaired according to the markets. He would not buy until it breaks above $21.82.

PAST TOP PICK

(A Top Pick Mar 20/19, Down 36%) He's sticking with it. MFC, back to 2008, was much more sensitive to the markets than today. They de-risked their balance sheet. They're getting hit now because of exposure to Asia. He believes MFC will come out of this and do quite well.

Showing 301 to 315 of 2,279 entries

Most Recent Experts

Brian Madden

First Avenue Investment Counsel

The Panic-Proof Portfolio (Stockchase Research)

Stockchase Premium

Darren Sissons

Campbell Lee & Ross

The Weekly Buzzing Stocks by Billy Kawasaki

Stockchase

Joe Terranova

Virtus Investment Partners

Stockchase, in its reporting on what has been discussed by individuals on business television programs (in particular Business News Network), neither recommends nor promotes any investment strategies.

We paraphrase the experts by hand, we watch the shows and write down what we understood from the experts’ comments. We are human and can make mistakes, help us fix any errors. If you see something that you know is not right or if there is a problem with the site, feel free to email us at : [email protected].

Manulife Financial (MFC.TO)