MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $95.3077.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on MET shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MetLife from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of MetLife from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of MetLife from $103.00 to $99.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of MetLife from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of MetLife from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th.

MetLife Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of MetLife stock opened at $87.56 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.20 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The company has a 50-day moving average of $79.20 and a 200 day moving average of $77.32. The firm has a market cap of $56.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.97, a PEG ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 0.78. MetLife has a 1 year low of $67.33 and a 1 year high of $87.96.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $14.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.49 billion. MetLife had a net margin of 4.66% and a return on equity of 22.60%. MetLife’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that MetLife will post 9.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th were paid a dividend of $0.5925 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $2.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from MetLife’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.93%.

Trending Headlines about MetLife

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MetLife broadened its settlement-solutions portfolio with a new deferred payment option, NQA-FA, aimed at the growing market for non-physical injury claims. The rollout suggests MetLife is expanding into a niche that could support future fee and premium growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage discussing MetLife as a “quietly making money” financial stock highlighted its dividend, buybacks, and supplemental insurance growth, reinforcing the view that the company continues to generate reliable cash returns for shareholders. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: At a Morgan Stanley financials conference, MetLife’s management commentary kept the stock in focus for investors looking for clues on strategy, capital deployment, and profitability trends. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles centered on MetLife Stadium’s World Cup preparations, including security spending, weather, matchups, and a temporary rename. These stories are tied to the stadium branding rather than MetLife’s insurance operations, so they are unlikely to materially affect the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One interview/commentary item about MetLife executive Drew Matus discussing AI and deflation was more macro-focused than company-specific, so it likely has limited near-term impact on the shares. Article Title

Institutional Trading of MetLife

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Activest Wealth Management increased its stake in MetLife by 205.8% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in MetLife by 790.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 356 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its stake in MetLife by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 383 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. 94.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MetLife Company Profile

MetLife, Inc is a global provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs. Headquartered in New York City, the company offers a range of risk protection and retirement solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. Its core businesses include life insurance, group benefits, retirement products such as annuities, and supplemental health products including dental and disability coverage.

In addition to traditional life and group insurance, MetLife provides workplace benefits and voluntary products distributed through employer-sponsored programs.