OREANDA-NEWS. Manulife Financial Corporation’s Board of Directors today announced an increase of 9% or 1.5 cents per share to its quarterly shareholders’ dividend resulting in a dividend of 18.5 cents per share on the common shares of Manulife Financial Corporation (the “Company”), payable on and after March 21, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 24, 2016.

The Board also declared dividends on the following non-cumulative preferred shares, payable on or after March 19, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 24,2016:

• Class A Shares Series 2 - $0.29063 per share
• Class A Shares Series 3 - $0.28125 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 3 - $0.2625 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 5 - $0.275 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 7 - $0.2875 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 9 - $0.275 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 11 - $0.25 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 13 - $0.2375 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 15 - $0.24375 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 17 - $0.24375 per share
• Class 1 Shares Series 19 - $0.2375 per share

In respect of the Company’s March 21, 2016 common share dividend payment date, the Board has decided that the common shares in connection with the reinvestment of dividends and optional cash purchases pursuant to the Company’s Canadian Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan and its U.S. Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan be purchased on the open market. The purchase price of such shares will be based on the average of the actual cost to purchase such common shares. There are no applicable discounts because the common shares are being purchased on the open market and are not being issued from treasury.