ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Decreases Holdings in MetLife, Inc. $MET

Key Points

• ABN AMRO Bank N.V. slashed its MetLife position by 96.1% in the first quarter, selling more than 2.1 million shares and leaving it with 85,136 shares worth about $6.1 million.
• MetLife reported Q1 EPS of $2.42, topping analyst estimates, though revenue of $14.18 billion came in below expectations; the company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.5925 per share.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of about $95.62, while shares recently traded around $86.07.

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. reduced its position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 96.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 85,136 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 2,101,814 shares during the quarter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V.'s holdings in MetLife were worth $6,081,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MET. Activest Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of MetLife by 205.8% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in MetLife by 790.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 356 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 316 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in MetLife by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 383 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. 94.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MetLife Stock Performance

MET opened at $86.07 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $82.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $78.08. MetLife, Inc. has a 1 year low of $67.33 and a 1 year high of $89.62. The stock has a market cap of $55.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.68, a P/E/G ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.20 and a quick ratio of 0.20.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $14.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.49 billion. MetLife had a return on equity of 22.60% and a net margin of 4.66%.MetLife's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that MetLife, Inc. will post 10 earnings per share for the current year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th were paid a dividend of $0.5925 per share. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 12th. This is a positive change from MetLife's previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. MetLife's dividend payout ratio is currently 45.93%.

MetLife News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MetLife Stadium is hosting major World Cup activity, including packed matches, celebrity appearances, and heavy media coverage, which keeps the MetLife name in front of a global audience and may support brand awareness. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Local business activity around World Cup events at MetLife Stadium suggests strong demand tied to the venue, reinforcing the stadium’s role as a major event destination and potentially benefiting MetLife’s public profile. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say fewer people than expected are taking trains and buses to MetLife Stadium for a World Cup match, which may indicate softer-than-hoped transit traffic but does not directly affect MetLife’s insurance business. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several articles highlight criticism of MetLife Stadium’s turf and field conditions during World Cup play, which could create negative publicity around the MetLife name even though it is tied to the venue rather than the company’s core operations. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on MET. Piper Sandler upped their target price on MetLife from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of MetLife from $87.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Mizuho set a $95.00 price objective on shares of MetLife in a report on Friday, May 8th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of MetLife from $89.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of MetLife from $103.00 to $99.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.62.

About MetLife

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.

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