Sun Life (SLF) Q2 Earnings Flat Y/Y, Asset Management Grows
Sun Life Financial SLF reported second-quarter 2020 underlying net income of $533 million (C$739 million), flat year over year. Positive impacts of business growth, investing activity, morbidity experience and higher net investment returns on surplus were offset by unfavorable tax impacts, credit experience and higher expense.
Insurance sales decreased 5.8% year over year to $446 billion (C$619 million) on the back of lower sales in SLF Canada. Wealth sales were up 53.2% year over year to $40.8 million (C$56.6 billion) in the quarter on higher sales in Asia and Asset Management.
Value of new business dropped 12.3% year over year to $149 million (C$206 million).
Sun Life Financial Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Sun Life Financial Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Sun Life Financial Inc. Quote
Segmental Results
SLF Canada’s underlying net income increased 16% year over year to $203 million (C$281 million) driven by higher investing activity, partially offset by credit experience. Insurance sales declined 22% on lower large case sales in Group Benefit, and lower sales in Individual Insurance as a result of the impact of COVID-19. Wealth sales increased 7%, owing to the timing of large case sales in Group Retirement Services (GRS) and lower sales in Individual Wealth
SLF U.S.’ underlying net income was $89 million (C$123 million), up 12% from the prior-year quarter. This upside was driven by business growth, favorable morbidity experience and a gain arising from the conclusion of a legal matter, partially offset by unfavorable mortality experience and credit experience. Sales remained flat year over year.
SLF Asset Management’s underlying net income of $187 million (C$259 million) increased 6% year over year, driven by the increase in SLC Management's performance fees and net income from the BGO acquisition that closed in July 2019, partially offset by higher sales expenses in MFS.
SLF Asia reported an underlying income of $104 million (C$144 million), down 2% year over year, attributable to unfavorable credit experience and lower available-for-sale asset ("AFS") gains, largely offset by a gain from a mortgage investment prepayment and favorable morbidity experience. Insurance sales remained flat year over year as increases in international hubs, China and Vietnam were offset by a decrease in sales in other insurance markets as a result of the impact of COVID-19. Wealth sales increased 36%, driven by fixed income sales in India and money market sales in the Philippines.
Financial Update
Global assets under management were $821 billion (C$1122 billion), up 9.5% year over year.
Sun Life Assurance’s Minimum Continuing Capital and Surplus Requirements (LICAT) ratio was 126% as of Jun 30, 2020 versus 130% as on Jun 30, 2019. The LICAT ratio for Sun Life was 146% versus 143% as on Jun 30, 2019.
Sun Life’s reported return on equity of 9.4% in the second quarter contracted 160 basis points (bps) year over year. Underlying ROE of 13.4% contracted 30 bps year over year.
Leverage ratio of 23.2% at quarter end deteriorated 200 basis points year over year.
Zacks Rank
Sun Life currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Performance of Other Life Insurers
Of the life insurance industry players that have reported second-quarter results so far, Reinsurance Group of America RGA and Voya Financial VOYA beat the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings while Lincoln National Corporation LNC missed expectations.
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Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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