Core Insights - Manulife Financial Corporation reported first-quarter 2025 core earnings of 69 cents per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.4%, with a year-over-year decrease of 1.4% [1] - Core earnings totaled $1.2 billion (C$1.8 billion), reflecting a decline of 7.6% year over year, primarily due to increased provisions for expected credit loss and California wildfires [1] Financial Performance - New business value (NBV) for the quarter was $631.6 million (C$907 million), representing a significant increase of 29.4% year over year [2] - Annualized premium equivalent (APE) sales rose by 28.5% year over year to $1.8 billion (C$2.7 billion) [2] - Core return on equity decreased by 60 basis points year over year to 15.6% [3] Segment Performance - The Global Wealth and Asset Management division's core earnings were $316 million (C$454 million), up 21.5% year over year, despite retirement net outflows of $1.8 billion (C$2.6 billion) [4] - The Asia division's core earnings reached $492 million, a 7% increase year over year, with record levels of APE sales, new business CSM, and NBV, growing by 50%, 38%, and 43% respectively [5] - The Canada division reported core earnings of $260 million (C$374 million), down 1.8% year over year, while APE sales increased by 9% [6] - The U.S. division's core earnings were $251 million, down 25% year over year, attributed to lower investment spreads and strengthened ECL provisions [7]