Sun Life Financial Inc. (SLF)

U.S. stocks are trading near record highs. But despite that strong performance, U.S. shares are being outshined by global emerging stocks. The leading emerging market ETF (EEM) has gained 22% year to date compared to 13% for the S&P 500. By comparison, a leading industrialized global stock market index, the ETF EAFE (EFA), is up 8%. With continued worries about the U.S. economy and rising interest rates, global stocks, and especially those that pay dividends, are an option for investors. The lagging U.S. markets represent quite a change from the recent record. Over the past five years, the S&P 500 has advanced 79% compared to a 33% gain for the EAFE and a 32% gain for the EEM. But the underperformance has given global stocks a valuation advantage, particularly in the area of dividends. Consider that the EAFE dividend yield of 3.14% is roughly 210 basis points higher than the comparable S&P 500 dividend yield. We think global dividend stocks continue to offer opportunity. In our view, investing in international income stocks is one way to increase portfolio diversification while reducing sensitivity to volatile U.S interest rates. Still, investing in overseas stocks carries its own set of risks, including the impact of currency exchange and geopolitical turmoil. But there are also a number of positives in this asset class for U.S. investors, including a wide selection of companies that pay dividends, robust industry diversification, and, as we have mentioned, higher yields and lower valuations. The following is a list of Argus BUY-rated international stocks that have a spot in our International Growth & Income Model Portfolio.

Sun Life Financial is one of the Big Three Canadian life insurers. The Canadian business contributed around 35% of its 2025 adjusted earnings. In that segment, the firm provides health, life insurance, and annuity products to individual and group customers. Its US business is mostly group health and contributed about 17% of the firm’s adjusted earnings in 2025. Sun Life also offers life insurance and wealth products in several Asian markets with a strong presence in Hong Kong and the Philippines. The Asia segment contributed around 18% of adjusted 2025 earnings. Its asset management business had around CAD 1.2 trillion in total assets under management or administration at the end of 2025 and represents around 30% of the firm’s earnings.

Sun Life Financial Inc., based in Toronto, is a leading life insurance company with operations in Canada, the U.S., and Asia. The company distributes its insurance products and other financial services through direct sales agents. It has approximately 67,000 employees, 85 million clients, and $1.6 trillion assets under management.

The major stock indices all finished in the green on Wednesday, led by the Russell 2000 (up 1.13%), while the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq Composite all were up about 0.50%. Stocks got a little breathing room after some weaker-than-expected jobs data led to a slight pullback in Treasury yields. But oil continues to push higher on unrest in the Middle East, with a barrel of crude now changing hands at just over $90.