Manulife 1Q Net Income +149% to C$1.147 B; C$0.485 Dividend
Manulife’s 1Q26 net income to shareholders rose 149% year-over-year to C$1.147 billion, core EPS climbed 11% to C$1.06 and APE sales increased 7% to C$2.821 billion. The Board declared a C$0.485 common dividend payable June 19 and quarterly preferred dividends of C$0.14675–C$0.396875 per share, record date May 29.
1. Strong Q1 Financial Performance
Manulife reported net income attributable to shareholders of C$1.147 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, a 149% increase over 1Q25. Core earnings were C$1.836 billion (+8% CER), core EPS rose 11% to C$1.06, APE sales reached C$2.821 billion (+7%), new business CSM climbed 16% to C$1.019 billion and the LICAT ratio stood at 136%.
2. Dividend Declarations
The Board approved a quarterly common share dividend of C$0.485 per share, payable June 19 to shareholders of record May 29. It also declared non-cumulative preferred dividends ranging from C$0.14675 to C$0.396875 per share across Series 2 through Series 25, all with the same record and payment dates.
3. Capital Deployment and Strategic Positioning
During 1Q26 the company returned C$1.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks, maintained a financial leverage ratio of 22.5% and book value per share at an all-time high of C$26.30. Manulife continues to deploy capital into AI initiatives, expand health-insurance partnerships in Asia and Canada, and grow its wealth-management platform to drive long-term shareholder value.