Manulife’s Asia business lifts core earnings
Manulife’s Asia business reported a strong increase in core earnings in the third quarter of 2026, while sales and new business metrics remained broadly stable year-on-year.
Core earnings in the Asia segment rose 17% to US$635 million in the three months ended September 30, 2026, according to Manulife Financial Corporation. Annualized premium equivalent (APE) sales fell 1% to US$1.455 billion, while new business contractual service margin (CSM) and new business value (NBV) were both unchanged at US$518 million and US$491 million, respectively.
According to the Statement, Asia delivered a robust performance in Q3. “The strength of our diversified regional business continues to position us well to navigate evolving market conditions and capture the long-term opportunities across Asia,” said Steve Finch, President and CEO of Manulife Asia.
The insurer also highlighted several strategic initiatives during the quarter. Manulife signed a memorandum of understanding with Ant Health, a unit of AHA Healthcare Technology HK Limited, covering health management services, cross-border healthcare support, digital health capabilities and insurance technology.
The first initiative under the agreement was launched in October, allowing eligible customers to use Alipay for cashless direct billing at participating healthcare providers in mainland China.
The company further expanded its use of artificial intelligence in insurance advisory services, bringing AI-enabled tools to mainland China and Malaysia. The technology is designed to help agents assess customers’ and families’ coverage, identify protection gaps across life, health and investment needs, and spot relevant life events ahead of customer meetings.
Finch said the company would continue to focus on health, longevity and technology as part of its strategy in the region. “We also continued to execute against our strategy, advancing our health and longevity propositions and extending AI-enabled advisory capabilities to help our agents better serve customers across the region,” he said.
