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

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:METGet Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $100.7143.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on MET shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of MetLife from $93.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MetLife from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Monday, June 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of MetLife from $96.00 to $106.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of MetLife from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on MetLife from $87.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd.

View Our Latest Research Report on MET

Key Headlines Impacting MetLife

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: New $3 billion buyback: MetLife’s board authorized repurchases of up to 4.8% of outstanding shares through open-market purchases. The program signals management’s confidence in the company’s valuation and could support earnings per share over time. MetLife outlines new $3B buyback authorization
  • Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter earnings beat estimates: MetLife reported adjusted EPS of $2.43 versus consensus of $2.30, helped by higher investment income, favorable underwriting, and business-volume growth. Earnings also improved from $2.02 a year earlier. MetLife Tops Q2 Earnings Estimates
  • Positive Sentiment: Organic growth remains a key strength: Management highlighted underwriting performance and volume expansion, while maintaining its 2026 MetLife Investment Management outlook of $240 million to $280 million. Analysts described the results as supportive of the long-term buy case. MetLife Q2 Earnings Beat Reaffirms the Buy Case
  • Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain cautiously optimistic: MetLife has outperformed the broader market over the past year, but valuation and the stock’s recent strength may leave less room for additional near-term gains. MetLife Stock Analyst Estimates and Ratings
  • Negative Sentiment: Spread headwinds and higher expenses remain risks: Management’s upbeat earnings commentary was tempered by pressure from investment spreads and elevated expenses, which could weigh on future profit growth despite favorable underwriting and investment income. MetLife Delivers Strong Earnings Amid Spread Headwinds

Institutional Trading of MetLife

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of MetLife by 12.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,555,335 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,727,518,000 after buying an additional 7,805,814 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in MetLife in the second quarter valued at approximately $4,381,692,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in MetLife by 22.9% during the 4th quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 11,883,338 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $938,071,000 after acquiring an additional 2,211,315 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at $639,986,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of MetLife by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 7,012,198 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $553,543,000 after purchasing an additional 176,811 shares during the period. 94.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MetLife Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of MET opened at $97.61 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $90.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $80.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.20. MetLife has a 52-week low of $67.33 and a 52-week high of $100.93. The company has a market cap of $62.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.70, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.78.

MetLife (NYSE:METGet Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $2.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.13. MetLife had a return on equity of 23.39% and a net margin of 4.57%.The company had revenue of $13.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.02 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that MetLife will post 9.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.5925 per share. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 4th. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio is 45.93%.

MetLife declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, August 5th that permits the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the financial services provider to reacquire up to 4.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

MetLife Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

Recommended Stories

Analyst Recommendations for MetLife (NYSE:MET)

Receive News & Ratings for MetLife Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MetLife and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.