Latest news with #SLF
STV News
5 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Community charity wins £60,000 grant to renovate former library
A West Lothian charity has been awarded more than £60,000 to build a new home in its former library base. Craigshill-based Spark took control of the former Almondbank Library for just £1 in a Community Asset Transfer from West Lothian Council earlier this year. Now grant funding secured from the Scottish Land Fund will enable the charity to refurbish the building to create a permanent home for a community group which has spread from its neighbourhood roots to help thousands across the county. Chair of Spark, the former long serving Craigshill councillor Frank Anderson, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: 'It is great to finally see the aspirations of our organisation reach a conclusion with the award of this grant funding. It has been a daunting task but one which will see our organisation go from strength to strength. 'Our community will continue to benefit from the many and varied activities we provide and will continue to provide. There will be no change to our activities and the fabulous atmosphere generated at Spark.' Frank continued: 'Whilst this award secures our ambition to take community ownership of the building, securing our future, we are already seeking funding to bring the building to a higher standard and become more energy efficient. We know that the improvements will enhance the Mall area and secure the building for future generations to enjoy.' Alex Fleming, Chief Officer at Spark, said: 'Spark are deeply thankful to the Scottish Land Fund for supporting us in taking this vital step toward community ownership of our building in the heart of our community. This funding means we can secure a long-term home where we can continue to grow, create opportunities, and make a real difference for those who live, work and visit our community.' The SLF grant will help the charity with the initial costs of taking on ownership of the former council property including legal fees for ownership, the decoupling of utilities we have to pay as part of the acceptance. Frank told the LDRS: 'We have applied for other grants to enable us to have a more efficient heating system.' The council's Community Asset Transfer Committee agreed to the transfer of the library building in March after hearing that a measure of just part of the work the charity does suggested its social value was in excess of £500,000. Spark's membership and volunteer numbers have grown significantly over the last 18 months, as has the number and type of activities and events it delivers. Events such as our inaugural Spark in the Park, last year which saw approx. 3,000 people attend a free family event in Craigshill. The charity has been awarded a total of £63, 961 to fund the transformation of the building that has long been its home. Spark was founded as the Craigshill Good Neighbour Network almost 40 years ago. Cara Gillespie, the chair of the Scottish Land Fund Committee said: 'The focus of this round of SLF funding has been on providing groups with the funds to secure spaces where they can come together as communities in both rural and urban locations, forging social ties and helping to meet local needs.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Sun Life (SLF) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments. Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases. Headquartered in Toronto, Sun Life (SLF) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 4.92% so far this year. The financial services company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.64 per share, with a dividend yield of 4.1%. This compares to the Insurance - Life Insurance industry's yield of 1.83% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.46%. Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.55 is up 6.3% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Sun Life has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.94%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Sun Life's current payout ratio is 46%, meaning it paid out 46% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend. Looking at this fiscal year, SLF expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $5.34 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 9.88%. Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout. High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. Income investors must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that SLF is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Sun Life Financial Inc. (SLF) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Edinburgh Reporter
5 days ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Craigshill based Spark secures £60,000 funding to kick start redevelopment
A West Lothian charity has been awarded more than £60,000 to build a new home in its former library base. Craigshill based Spark took control of the former Almondbank Library for just £1 in a Community Asset Transfer from West Lothian Council earlier this year. Now grant funding secured from the Scottish Land Fund will enable the charity to refurbish the building to create a permanent home for a community group which has spread from its neighbourhood roots to help thousands across the county. Chair of Spark, the former long serving Craigshill councillor Frank Anderson, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: 'It is great to finally see the aspirations of our organisation reach a conclusion with the award of this grant funding. It has been a daunting task but one which will see our organisation go from strength to strength. 'Our community will continue to benefit from the many and varied activities we provide and will continue to provide. There will be no change to our activities and the fabulous atmosphere generated at Spark.' Frank continued: 'Whilst this award secures our ambition to take community ownership of the building, securing our future, we are already seeking funding to bring the building to a higher standard and become more energy efficient. We know that the improvements will enhance the Mall area and secure the building for future generations to enjoy.' Alex Fleming, Chief Officer at Spark, said: 'Spark are deeply thankful to the Scottish Land Fund for supporting us in taking this vital step toward community ownership of our building in the heart of our community. This funding means we can secure a long-term home where we can continue to grow, create opportunities, and make a real difference for those who live, work and visit our community.' The SLF grant will help the charity with the initial costs of taking on ownership of the former council property including legal fees for ownership, the decoupling of utilities we have to pay as part of the acceptance. Frank told the LDRS: 'We have applied for other grants to enable us to have a more efficient heating system.' The council's Community Asset Transfer Committee agreed to the transfer of the library building in March after hearing that a measure of just part of the work the charity does suggested its social value was in excess of £500,000. Spark's membership and volunteer numbers have grown significantly over the last 18 months, as has the number and type of activities and events it delivers. Events such as our inaugural Spark in the Park, last year which saw approx. 3,000 people attend a free family event in Craigshill. The charity has been awarded a total of £63, 961 to fund the transformation of the building that has long been its home. Spark was founded as the Craigshill Good Neighbour Network almost 40 years ago. Cara Gillespie, the chair of the Scottish Land Fund Committee said: 'The focus of this round of SLF funding has been on providing groups with the funds to secure spaces where they can come together as communities in both rural and urban locations, forging social ties and helping to meet local needs.' By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sun Life (SLF) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments. While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases. Sun Life (SLF) is headquartered in Toronto, and is in the Finance sector. The stock has seen a price change of 4.77% since the start of the year. The financial services company is paying out a dividend of $0.64 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 4.1% compared to the Insurance - Life Insurance industry's yield of 1.76% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.53%. Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.55 is up 6.3% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Sun Life has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.94%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Sun Life's current payout ratio is 46%, meaning it paid out 46% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend. SLF is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $5.27 per share, with earnings expected to increase 8.44% from the year ago period. Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout. Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, SLF presents a compelling investment opportunity; it's not only an attractive dividend play, but the stock also boasts a strong Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Sun Life Financial Inc. (SLF) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Axios
08-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: Senate Republican super PAC smashes fundraising record
The Senate GOP's top super PAC and affiliates have more than doubled their fundraising record for the first half of an off-year — bringing in $85 million, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Senate Leadership Fund is a campaign powerhouse for the GOP. But its new leaders want to shake things up after a decade of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his allies at the helm. This is the group's first fundraising release since Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) took over as Senate GOP leader. President Trump is more involved than ever, SLF executive director Alex Latcham told Axios in an interview. Latcham and former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) now run SLF after years under Steven Law, a close McConnell ally. "We're working with [the White House] to identify and vet Senate candidates," Latcham said, describing it as an asset "as we navigate some of these primaries." Discussions with the White House about 2026 come at a "regular cadence, whether it's in person, over the phone," he told Axios. Zoom in: The group is planning to spend more money far ahead of the traditional blast after Labor Day of an election year. They have already started spending in Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, Alaska and Nebraska. They are planning an imminent Texas ad buy. SLF has backed Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who has been trailing his primary challenger Attorney General Ken Paxton in polls. By the numbers: SLF and its affiliated group One Nation have raised over $85 million since the start of the year — far more than the $38 million raised over the same period in 2023, the group told Axios. Together they have $83 million cash on hand. SLF alone has $29 million on hand. That is three times as much as SLF had in 2023 and five times as much as in 2021, at the same point in the cycle. Between the lines: Latcham gave credit to Thune's activity in fundraising for SLF and GOP candidates — both in D.C. and on the road. But he also cited the GOP majority and excitement around the administration. The team has also been targeting new donors. "Obviously, you've got the crypto community, which is more engaged in politics writ large," Latcham said, adding there are others who are more engaged with Trump in office. What to watch: SLF plans to put more emphasis on streaming and digital ads to reach the modern electorate, including younger voters and "cord-cutters." Strategists are starting to map out how to reach voters who are solid Trump supporters, but are less likely to turn out in mid-term election years. They plan to coordinate that work with other outside groups and the White House.
