Sun Life Reveals Q4 2023 Holdings: Heavy on S&P 500, International ETFs

TL;DR

**Sun Life's Q4 2023 13F shows big bets on S&P 500 and international ETFs, signaling a diversified, market-tracking strategy.**

AI Summary

Sun Life Financial Inc. filed its 13F-HR on February 7, 2024, disclosing its holdings as of December 31, 2023. The filing shows significant investments in broad market ETFs, including $1,810,788 in SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust across multiple positions and $406,120 in iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund. This matters to investors because it reveals Sun Life's investment strategy, indicating a preference for diversified, large-cap exposure and international markets, which can influence the company's overall financial performance and stability.

Why It Matters

This filing provides transparency into Sun Life's investment portfolio, offering insights into how the company manages its assets and generates returns, which directly impacts its profitability and shareholder value.

Risk Assessment

Risk Level: low — The portfolio shows significant diversification across major ETFs and real estate investment trusts, reducing concentration risk.

Analyst Insight

Investors should note Sun Life's diversified, largely passive investment strategy through ETFs, which suggests a focus on market-level returns rather than active stock picking for a significant portion of its portfolio. This implies that Sun Life's investment performance will largely mirror the broader market trends, particularly the S&P 500 and major international indices.

Key Numbers

• $1,810,788 — Total value of SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust holdings (Represents a substantial portion of Sun Life's disclosed equity investments, indicating a strong belief in the performance of the broader U.S. market.)
• 861,297 — Total shares of SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Shows the scale of Sun Life's investment in the S&P 500, reflecting a strategy to track or outperform the index.)
• $406,120 — Value of iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund holding (Highlights Sun Life's significant exposure to developed international markets (Europe, Australasia, Far East).)
• 30,600 — Shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (Indicates a notable investment in a diversified international equity fund.)
• 20231231 — Conformed Period of Report (The date for which the reported holdings are accurate, providing a snapshot of the portfolio at year-end.)

Key Players & Entities

• SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC (company) — filer of the 13F-HR
• Randolph Brown (person) — CIO of Sun Life
• SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (company) — a significant holding in Sun Life's portfolio
• iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (company) — a significant international holding in Sun Life's portfolio
• AvalonBay Communities Inc (company) — a real estate investment trust holding

Forward-Looking Statements

• Sun Life will continue to maintain significant exposure to broad market ETFs like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust in its next 13F filing. (SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC) — high confidence, target: 20240515
• Sun Life may adjust its allocation to specific international ETFs based on regional economic performance and currency fluctuations. (SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC) — medium confidence, target: 20240515

FAQ

Filing Documents

• primary_doc.html (13F-HR)
• primary_doc.xml (13F-HR) — 3KB
• infotable.html (INFORMATION TABLE)
• infotable.xml (INFORMATION TABLE) — 15KB
• 0001104659-24-011430.txt ( ) — 19KB

From the Filing

SEC FORM 13F-HR The Securities and Exchange Commission has not necessarily reviewed the information in this filing and has not determined if it is accurate and complete. The reader should not assume that the information is accurate and complete. UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 13F FORM 13F COVER PAGE OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0006 Estimated average burden hours per response: 23.8 Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: 12-31-2023 Check here if Amendment    Amendment Number: This Amendment (Check only one.):    is a restatement.    adds new holdings entries. Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report: Name: SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC Address: Sun Life Assurance CO of Canada One York Street Toronto , A6   M5J 0B6 Form 13F File Number: 028-05799 CRD Number (if applicable): The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements, schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form. Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager: Name: Randolph Brown Title: CIO, Sun Life Phone: 781-416-2297 Signature, Place, and Date of Signing: /s/ Randolph Brown Wellesley Hills ,  MA 02-07-2024 [Signature] [City, State] [Date] Report Type (Check only one.):    13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager are reported in this report.)    13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all holdings are reported by other reporting manager(s).) X 13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by other reporting manager(s).) List of Other Managers Reporting for this Manager: [If there are no entries in this list, omit this section.] Name Form 13F File No. CRD No. (if applicable) SEC File No. (if applicable) CIK MFS 028-04968       Form 13F Summary Page Report Summary: Number of Other Included Managers: 3 Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 28 Form 13F Information Table Value Total: 14,524,385 (round to nearest dollar) List of Other Included Managers: Provide a numbered list of the name(s) and Form 13F file number(s) of all institutional investment managers with respect to which this report is filed, other than the manager filing this report. [If there are no entries in this list, state “NONE” and omit the column headings and list entries.] No. Name Form 13F File No. CRD No. (if applicable) SEC File No. (if applicable) CIK 1 SUN LIFE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT (U.S.) LLC 028-12046 2 Sun Life Assurance Co of Canada 028-12047 3 Crescent Capital Group LP 028-15882

View Full Filing

View this 13F-HR filing on SEC EDGAR