Summary of Manulife Financial Conference Call (November 25, 2025) Company Overview - **Company**: Manulife Financial (NYSE: MFC) - **CFO**: Colin Simpson, in position for two and a half years Key Points and Arguments Strategic Priorities - Manulife has a refreshed strategy focusing on wealth and asset management, aiming for 50% of earnings from Asia while maintaining growth in Canada and the US [15][14] - The company emphasizes geographic diversification and quality of earnings as key differentiators in the life insurance sector [15] AI Integration - Manulife targets to create $1 billion in value from AI through three areas: earnings increase, CSM (Contractual Service Margin) growth, and cost avoidance [18][17] - AI tools are being utilized to enhance sales processes, such as personalized communication with clients to drive additional sales [20][21] Legacy Business Management - The company has completed three significant deals in the legacy business, reducing the need for future transactions [23] - Long-term care (LTC) exposure is over $30 billion, with positive experiences reported [23][24] Asia Market Focus - Asia remains a critical part of Manulife's strategy, with a target of mid-teen earnings growth and a 21% ROE by 2027 [29][28] - The company is optimistic about demographic growth and the potential for wealth centers in Asia, despite headwinds from various markets [30][31] India Market Entry - Manulife is entering the Indian insurance market, expecting a long-term view with a timeline of 12-18 months before selling policies [33][34] - Regulatory improvements and a digital-native consumer base in India are seen as favorable conditions for entry [33] US Division Outlook - The US division currently generates about $250 million, with expectations for steady single-digit earnings growth [44][46] - The focus is on leveraging the John Hancock brand and the Vitality program to enhance customer engagement and loyalty [46] Canadian Market Strategy - Manulife aims to increase market share in Canada, particularly in health and group benefits, while improving customer experience through AI [50][51] Capital Management and M&A Strategy - The company has $6 billion in excess capital and has been active in share buybacks, totaling $1.74 billion year-to-date [52][55] - Future M&A opportunities are being considered, particularly in Canadian wealth and US retirement sectors, but the focus remains on organic growth [58][59] ROE Targets - Current core ROE is approximately 16%, with a target of 18%+ by the end of 2027 [59][60] - The company plans to achieve this through stable earnings growth, buybacks, and improved CSM growth [61] Closing Remarks - Manulife is committed to becoming a quality, world-renowned franchise, focusing on long-term growth and delivering value to shareholders [63] Additional Important Insights - The company acknowledges the challenges in the Chinese market but remains optimistic about its position and potential growth in profitability [41][42] - The management emphasizes the importance of a balanced strategy to mitigate risks associated with geopolitical uncertainties [41]

Sunshine Insurance Group - H Conference Call Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Sunshine Insurance Group - **Period**: 1H25 - **Net Profit**: Rmb3.4B, exceeding JPMe estimate of Rmb3.0B - **New Business Value (NBV)**: Rmb4.0B, up 47% year-on-year (oya) on a like-for-like basis [1][3] Key Positives - **Contractual Service Margin (CSM)**: - CSM balance reached Rmb56B as of June 2025, growing at 10.3% half-on-half (H/H) [2] - Indicates high visibility of steady underwriting profit primarily from CSM release [2] - **Earnings Performance**: - P&C's 1H25 underwriting combined ratio improved by 0.3 percentage points oya to 98.8% [2] - Overall net profit of Rmb3.4B represents a 7.8% increase oya, beating estimates [2] - **Solvency Ratios**: - Core solvency ratios for Sunshine Group, Sunshine Life, and Sunshine P&C are 171% (+13%p H/H), 155% (+18%p H/H), and 177% (+12%p H/H) respectively, well above the minimum requirement of 50% [2] Key Negatives/Concerns - **New Life Sales Volume**: - New life sales volume was Rmb19B, down 3% oya, with agency channel sales down 11% and bancassurance channel sales down 5% [3] - Indicates low new business quality, raising concerns about sustainability of in-force book growth [3] - **Market Reaction**: - Despite strong earnings, a negative stock reaction is anticipated due to concerns over the quality of new life sales [5][7] Likely Changes to Consensus - 1H25 net profit accounts for 59% of FY25E consensus earnings, suggesting potential marginal upward revisions to full-year consensus [4] Investment Thesis - **Market Position**: Sunshine Insurance Group has a composite license but has seen sluggish market share gains over the past decade [10] - **Growth Outlook**: Attractive CSM growth outlook indicates steady insurance profit potential, but the company requires more time to scale up its business size [10] - **Risks**: - Higher earnings volatility risk due to equity market movements - Capital adequacy concerns amidst falling bond yields - Imbalanced distribution channels for risk diversification [10] Valuation - **Price Target**: HK$2.10, implying a 5x FY25E P/E at the consolidation level [11] - **Valuation Methodology**: - Life Operations valued at 4x FY25E P/E - Non-life Operations valued at 3x FY25E P/E - Other business assigned 0.3x P/BV [11] Risks to Rating and Price Target - Upside risks include: - Mitigation of earnings sensitivity against equity market movements - Faster-than-expected recovery in front-book growth and new life sales - More balanced earnings contribution from the non-life segment [12]