HighTower Advisors LLC Boosts Position in Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF)

HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF) (TSE:SLF) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,685 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 365 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Sun Life Financial were worth $1,109,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in Sun Life Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new stake in Sun Life Financial in the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in Sun Life Financial in the fourth quarter worth $45,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Sun Life Financial during the third quarter valued at $51,000. Institutional investors own 52.26% of the company’s stock.

Sun Life Financial Price Performance

SLF opened at $57.16 on Thursday. Sun Life Financial Inc. has a 1 year low of $46.41 and a 1 year high of $62.85. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $56.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $57.93. The firm has a market cap of $35.73 billion, a PE ratio of 14.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.04.

Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF) (TSE:SLF) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.30. Sun Life Financial had a net margin of 8.08% and a return on equity of 16.86%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current year.

Sun Life Financial Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th will be paid a $0.5876 dividend. This represents a $2.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.11%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 26th. Sun Life Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 60.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on SLF. National Bank Financial upgraded shares of Sun Life Financial from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Cormark upgraded shares of Sun Life Financial from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Sun Life Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Sun Life Financial Profile

Sun Life Financial Inc, a financial services company, provides savings, retirement, and pension products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: Asset Management, Canada, U.S., Asia, and Corporate. It offers various insurance products, such as term and permanent life; personal health, which includes prescription drugs, dental, and vision care; critical illness; long-term care; and disability, as well as reinsurance.