Manulife Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, APE Sales Rise Y/Y

Core Insights - Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) reported second-quarter 2025 core earnings of 69 cents per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8%, but showing a year-over-year improvement of 4.5% [1][9] - Core earnings totaled $1.2 billion (C$1.7 billion), reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 7.6% due to strong business growth in Global WAM, Asia, and Canada being offset by unfavorable life insurance claims experience in the U.S. and increased ECL provisions [1][9] New Business Metrics - New business value (NBV) for the quarter was $611 million (C$846 million), representing a year-over-year increase of 15.7% [2][9] - New business contractual service margin (CSM) reached $637 million (C$882 million), up 38.7% year over year [2][9] - Annualized premium equivalent (APE) sales increased by 12.8% year over year to $1.58 billion (C$2.2 billion), indicating strong sales momentum and margin expansion [2][9] Asset Management Performance - Average assets under management and administration in Global Wealth and Asset Management were $726 billion (C$1,005 billion), up 6.4% year over year [3] - Retail net outflows amounted to $3.2 billion, a significant increase of 32-fold year over year, primarily due to lower net sales through third-party intermediaries in North America and money market funds in Mainland China [3] Profitability and Financial Ratios - Core return on equity decreased by 70 basis points year over year to 15% [4] - Financial leverage ratio improved by 140 basis points to 25.6% at the end of the quarter [4] - Life Insurance Capital Adequacy Test ratio stood at 136% as of June 30, 2025, with adjusted book value per common share increasing by 7.4% year over year to $35.78 [4] Segment Performance - Global Wealth and Asset Management division's core earnings were $334 million (C$463 million), up 14.5% year over year [5] - Asia division's core earnings reached $520 million, a 13% increase year over year, with APE sales, new business CSM, and NBV rising by 31%, 34%, and 28% respectively [5] - Canada division's core earnings were $302 million (C$419 million), up 2.7% year over year, while APE sales decreased by 34% [6] - U.S. division reported core earnings of $141 million, down 53% year over year, despite strong business growth reflected in APE sales, new business CSM, and NBV increasing by 40%, 59%, and 12% respectively [7]