Sun Life Finl - SLF STOCK NEWS

Sun Life U.S. and DentaQuest have announced a three-year, $825,000 partnership extension with TeamSmile to expand access to dental care for underserved children. The collaboration focuses on TeamSmile's free dental clinics and the Dental Home Project, which connects children to local primary dentists for long-term care.

The program has shown significant success, with over 80% of children without a dental home being matched with providers, and nearly 80% attending their first follow-up appointment. Since its founding in 2007, TeamSmile has conducted almost 300 programs nationwide, serving more than 55,000 children and providing over $21 million in free dental care and education.

Sun Life U.S. and the Boston Celtics have successfully concluded their 11th annual Fit to Win program, a health initiative focused on youth fitness and wellness. The program, conducted with the YMCA of Greater Boston, culminated at the Dorchester YMCA with Celtics forward Torrey Craig participating in activities with local youth.

The four-week program teaches exercise, nutrition, and mindfulness, encouraging kids to track various activities from workouts to sleep habits. Over its 11-year history, Fit to Win has reached more than 2,500 children, recently expanding to include the Maine Celtics with activities at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine.

The partnership between Sun Life and the Celtics extends beyond Fit to Win, including the annual #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes fundraiser supporting the YMCA's Healthy Habits program. This collaboration represents a significant component of Sun Life's community engagement strategy, demonstrating their commitment to promoting healthier lifestyles among young people.

Sun Life Financial (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) has appointed Natalie Brady as Senior Vice-President of Capital Management and Investor Relations. Brady, a 25-year veteran at Sun Life, previously served as Senior Vice-President, Head of Enterprise Finance, where she led the company's transition to IFRS 17 reporting.

In her new role, Brady will oversee the engagement strategy with institutional investors, sell-side analysts, and rating agencies, while managing Sun Life's Treasury and Capital Management teams. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, an MBA from Concordia University, and is a CPA. Brady is scheduled to host Sun Life's Q1 2025 Earnings Release Conference Call on May 9, 2025.

Sun Life (SLF) has announced that Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Tim Deacon will participate in a fireside chat at the National Bank Financial Markets' 23rd Annual Financial Services Conference. The event is scheduled for March 26, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. ET.

For investors and stakeholders unable to attend the live session, a webcast replay will be made available following the event on Sun Life's official investor relations website at sunlife.com/en/investors/presentations-and-events/past-events/.

Sun Life U.S. has been named a strategic Workday Wellness partner, enhancing their existing partnership to improve benefits management through AI-powered solutions. The collaboration focuses on integrating Sun Life's wellness and benefits offerings with Workday's platform, providing employers real-time visibility into employee benefits utilization.

Through Sun Life Link, the company's portfolio of API solutions, the partnership automates benefit data exchanges, significantly reducing HR teams' administrative workload. As a Workday Wellness partner, Sun Life is developing additional APIs to enhance connectivity for functions including plan setup, enrollment, eligibility, absence management, EOI, and billing.

This integration aims to streamline the benefits experience for both employers and employees, allowing for better access to health services and more efficient benefits management. The partnership represents an expansion of Sun Life's existing relationship with Workday, focusing on creating a more seamless experience in benefits administration.

Sun Life U.S. has announced the addition of menopause benefits to its employee health programs, provided through Progyny at no cost to employees. The new benefit addresses a significant healthcare gap, as 73% of women don't seek proper treatment for menopause symptoms, which can last 2-8 years.

The program offers personalized support from reproductive health experts, including health coaching and guidance for nutrition, weight management, sleep issues, and mental health. This initiative comes as research shows that over 93% of medical residents feel inadequately prepared to manage menopause, and only 31% of OB/GYN residency programs report having a menopause curriculum.

The benefit complements Sun Life's existing comprehensive benefits package, which includes Progyny's fertility services, paid family and medical leave, sabbaticals, and flexible hybrid work arrangements.

Sun Life U.S. and DentaQuest have opened applications for their 2025 Health Access Hero awards, an initiative recognizing organizations and individuals who strengthen health equity in their communities. The program focuses on improving access to care in areas including oral health, diabetes, obesity prevention, and nutrition.

The awards feature two tracks: grants for community organizations' health programs and recognition of impactful individuals. Individual Heroes receive a $10,000 donation to their chosen charity. The program has historically provided over $3 million in grants and recognized more than 125 individuals nationwide.

Recipients can include hospitals, health clinics, grassroots organizations, and individuals such as health providers, nonprofit directors, academic faculty, or community organizers. The initiative aims to address various healthcare challenges including transportation barriers, out-of-pocket costs, and workforce shortages.

Sun Life Financial (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) has announced its Q1 2025 dividend declarations. The company will pay a dividend of $0.84 per common share, maintaining the same amount as the previous quarter, payable March 31, 2025, to shareholders of record as of February 26, 2025.

The company also declared dividends on its Class A Non-Cumulative Preferred Shares, with varying amounts across different series: Series 3 and 4 at $0.278125, Series 5 at $0.28125, Series 8R at $0.114063, Series 9QR at $0.301500, Series 10R at $0.185438, and Series 11QR at $0.348349 per share.

Common shares acquired under the Canadian Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan will be purchased on the open market through the Toronto Stock Exchange and other Canadian trading platforms. All declared dividends are designated as eligible dividends under the Income Tax Act (Canada).

Sun Life Financial (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) reported its Q4 and full-year 2024 results. Underlying net income for Q4 was $965 million, down 2% year-over-year, while full-year underlying net income increased 3% to $3,856 million. Reported net income for Q4 decreased 68% to $237 million, impacted by lower tax-exempt investment income and a $186 million impairment charge in Vietnam.

Key financial highlights include: Assets under management reached $1,542 billion, up 10% from 2023; LICAT ratio at SLF was 152%; and underlying ROE was 16.5% for Q4. By segment, Wealth & asset management underlying income increased 11% to $486 million, Group Health & Protection decreased 27% to $266 million, and Individual Protection rose 19% to $339 million.

The company saw strong performance in Asia and Canada, with 17% and 6% growth respectively in underlying net income for the full year. U.S. business faced challenges with unfavorable morbidity experience in medical stop-loss.