Great-West, Manulife enjoyed strong second-quarter results
Better market performance was offset by sizable loss on sale of debt instruments
Insurer has been working to shed assets with a low return on equity
Claims for substance abuse and mental health issues also increasing
Company says it will ramp up share buybacks
Earnings hurt by declining property values, rising credit losses
In Canada, assets under management were up 3% in 2023
The quarter also saw net outflows, lower AUM
Sun Life Financial Inc. and Manulife Financial Corp. are Canada's first and fourth-largest fossil fuel investors
Rising interest rates led to drops in net income for Great-West Lifeco and Sun Life