164,352 Shares in Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF) Purchased by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF) (TSE:SLF) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 164,352 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $9,542,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 2,747.4% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 541 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 124.9% during the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 650 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Clean Yield Group purchased a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD acquired a new position in Sun Life Financial during the second quarter worth $43,000. 52.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on SLF. StockNews.com downgraded Sun Life Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Sun Life Financial in a report on Thursday, September 5th. They set an “equal weight” rating on the stock.

Sun Life Financial Stock Performance

Shares of SLF stock opened at $60.46 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $58.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.12. The stock has a market cap of $34.81 billion, a PE ratio of 13.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.03. Sun Life Financial Inc. has a 1 year low of $46.41 and a 1 year high of $62.85.

Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.621 per share. This is an increase from Sun Life Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.11%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 27th. Sun Life Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.23%.

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.