Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF) Receives Consensus Rating of "Reduce" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is cautious: Brighthouse Financial has a consensus “Reduce” rating, with one sell and nine hold recommendations. The average 12-month price target is $60.50, above the reported $50.11 share price.
• Institutional ownership remains high: Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.24% of the company, with notable new or increased positions from BlackRock, Amundi, Quantinno Capital Management and Bank of New York Mellon.
• Quarterly results fell short of expectations: Brighthouse reported $4.45 in adjusted EPS versus the $4.86 consensus estimate and revenue of $1.62 billion versus estimates of $2.18 billion. Revenue declined 2% year over year, although net margin was 12.49% and return on equity was 17.24%.

Shares of Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Reduce" from the ten research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and nine have issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $60.50.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BHF shares. Zacks Research upgraded Brighthouse Financial from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Weiss Ratings cut Brighthouse Financial from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Brighthouse Financial to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Brighthouse Financial by 34.7% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 186,971 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,196,000 after acquiring an additional 48,174 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Brighthouse Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $341,422,000. Amundi grew its position in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 3,855.0% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 123,276 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,382,000 after purchasing an additional 120,159 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 38.8% in the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 61,433 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,679,000 after purchasing an additional 17,164 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Brighthouse Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $20,887,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.24% of the company's stock.

Brighthouse Financial Stock Performance

NASDAQ:BHF opened at $50.11 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.88 billion, a PE ratio of 4.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.84. Brighthouse Financial has a fifty-two week low of $44.51 and a fifty-two week high of $66.80. The company has a fifty day moving average of $59.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.73.

Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $4.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.86 by ($0.41). Brighthouse Financial had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 17.24%. The company had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.43 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Brighthouse Financial will post 18.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brighthouse Financial Company Profile

Brighthouse Financial, Inc is a U.S.-based insurance company focused on helping individuals achieve financial security through annuity and life insurance products. The company serves retail customers, as well as institutions and distribution partners, through a network that includes independent agents, banks, broker-dealers and other financial professionals.

Brighthouse Financial offers fixed, indexed and variable annuities designed to provide retirement income, tax-deferred growth and death-benefit features.

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