B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Purchases 19,019 Shares of MetLife, Inc. $MET

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG increased its MetLife stake by 27.8% in the second quarter, purchasing 19,019 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 87,420 shares valued at approximately $7.4 million.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish: MetLife has a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $102.21, with 12 of 13 analysts rating the stock Strong Buy or Buy.
• MetLife reported quarterly EPS of $2.43, ahead of the $2.30 estimate, and authorized a $3 billion share repurchase program. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.5925 per share, equivalent to a 2.4% annual yield.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its holdings in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 27.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 87,420 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 19,019 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in MetLife were worth $7,396,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of MetLife during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Burk Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of MetLife in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.99% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded MetLife from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 22nd. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of MetLife from $102.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Evercore reiterated a "mixed" rating on shares of MetLife in a report on Monday, August 24th. Barclays lifted their target price on MetLife from $94.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on MetLife from $101.00 to $109.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $102.21.

MetLife Price Performance

Shares of MET stock opened at $99.15 on Friday. MetLife, Inc. has a 52-week low of $67.33 and a 52-week high of $100.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $63.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.99, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $94.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $83.40.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $2.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $13.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. MetLife had a return on equity of 23.39% and a net margin of 4.57%.MetLife's quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.02 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.76 earnings per share for the current year.

MetLife announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, August 5th that authorizes the company to buyback $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to reacquire up to 4.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.5925 per share. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 4th. MetLife's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.40%.

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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