Westerkirk Capital Inc. Sells 14,600 Shares of Sun Life Financial Inc. $SLF

Westerkirk Capital Inc. decreased its position in Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF) (TSE:SLF) by 46.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,660 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 14,600 shares during the period. Westerkirk Capital Inc.’s holdings in Sun Life Financial were worth $1,040,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SLF. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in Sun Life Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $244,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Sun Life Financial by 113.8% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,022 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $454,000 after acquiring an additional 4,270 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Sun Life Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $204,000. Prudential Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Sun Life Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $232,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Sun Life Financial by 66.4% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,734 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $115,000 after acquiring an additional 692 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 52.26% of the company’s stock.

Sun Life Financial Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE:SLF opened at $73.57 on Tuesday. Sun Life Financial Inc. has a 1-year low of $56.22 and a 1-year high of $74.44. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $69.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $65.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.76 billion, a PE ratio of 18.96 and a beta of 0.90.

Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF) (TSE:SLF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.03. Sun Life Financial had a return on equity of 17.80% and a net margin of 7.85%.The business had revenue of $6.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $925.99 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.82 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 5.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 27th will be paid a $0.96 dividend. This is a boost from Sun Life Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 27th. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.2%. Sun Life Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 72.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on SLF shares. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Sun Life Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Finally, TD Securities reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $86.50.

Sun Life Financial Profile

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.