Stock news for investors: Fourth-quarter results from Manulife, Sun Life, Air Canada and more

Per share, earnings for the quarter were 83 cents, down about 6% year-on-year from 88 cents.

The insurer said adjusted profit, or what it calls core profit, came to $2 billion in the fourth quarter, up 5% from $1.9 billion a year earlier. Core profits for Manulife’s Asian segment during the period were US$564 million, while core profits for the Canadian segment were US$413 million. Both results were slightly better than a year earlier.

Manulife CEO Phil Witherington says 2025 was a defining year for the company as it achieved record core profits.

Sun Life Financial reports a profit of $722 million in the fourth quarter, compared to $237 million last year

Sun Life Financial Inc. says it made a net profit of $722 million in the fourth quarter. That compares with a profit of $237 in the same quarter a year ago, when the Toronto-based insurer took a $186 million writedown and posted lower-than-expected investment income.

Earnings for the period ended December 31 came to $1.96 per share, compared to $1.68 in the year-ago quarter.

Underlying net profit for the asset management and wealth business was $534 million, while underlying net profit for the healthcare and protection business was $308 million.

The Toronto-based insurer says assets under management during the period totaled $1.6 billion, compared to $1.54 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Sun Life CEO Kevin Strain said in a press release that the company saw robust earnings and sales in Asia and solid asset sales in Canada.

Cineplex reports fourth-quarter profit of $369,000, up from $3.3 million a year earlier

Cineplex Inc. reported fourth-quarter profit of $369,000, compared with $3.3 million a year earlier, as sales also fell. The movie theater company said earnings for the quarter ended Dec. 31 were one cent per diluted share, compared with earnings of five cents per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Revenue totaled $334.8 million for the quarter, up from $340.9 million a year earlier, while theater attendance totaled 10.1 million, down from 11.1 million. Box office revenue per patron was $13.87, up from $13.26 a year earlier, while concession revenue per patron rose to $9.92, up from $9.41 in the last three months of 2024.

Cineplex also announced the retirement of Robert Bruce from its board of directors. The company says former Scotiabank director Sean McGuckin will replace Bruce on the board.

Air Canada reports fourth-quarter profit of $296 million, up from last year

Air Canada reported fourth-quarter net income of $296 million, compared with a loss of $644 million in the same period a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share during the period were $1, compared to a loss per share of $1.81 last year.

The Montreal-based airline said its operating revenues reached a record $5.8 billion in the period ended Dec. 31, up from $5.4 billion a year earlier.

Michael Rousseau, CEO of Air Canada, said the company’s results came amid shifting demand trends and ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.

On Wednesday, Air Canada announced the purchase of eight Airbus A350-1000 widebody aircraft with rights to purchase an additional eight aircraft.

The airline decided to suspend flights to Cuba earlier this month due to a fuel shortage in the Caribbean country.