Heathbridge Capital Management Ltd. Sells 200 Shares of Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF)

Heathbridge Capital Management Ltd. reduced its stake in Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF) (TSE:SLF) by 4.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Sun Life Financial makes up approximately 0.1% of Heathbridge Capital Management Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest position. Heathbridge Capital Management Ltd.’s holdings in Sun Life Financial were worth $237,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 2,747.4% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 541 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 522 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 124.9% in the third quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 650 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 361 shares during the period. Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Sun Life Financial during the third quarter worth $51,000. 52.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on SLF shares. StockNews.com cut Sun Life Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. National Bank Financial upgraded Sun Life Financial from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Sun Life Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SLF opened at $55.17 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $58.78 and a 200-day moving average of $57.13. The company has a market capitalization of $34.65 billion, a PE ratio of 12.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.03. Sun Life Financial Inc. has a 52-week low of $46.41 and a 52-week high of $62.85.

Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF) (TSE:SLF) last announced its quarterly 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 7.32% and a return on equity of 17.44%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 4.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sun Life Financial Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.5876 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 26th. This represents a $2.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.26%. Sun Life Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.46%.

About Sun Life Financial

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.