D.A. Davidson & CO. Has $4.11 Million Stock Holdings in MetLife, Inc. $MET

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson & Co. raised its stake in MetLife (NYSE:MET) by 73.2% in Q4 to 52,023 shares, worth about $4.11 million.
• MetLife increased its quarterly common dividend to $0.5925 (a 4.4% rise), implying roughly a 3.0% yield and an annualized $2.37 payout with a ~48% payout ratio.
• MetLife topped quarterly EPS estimates with $2.49 vs. $2.34 and saw revenue rise 27.6% year-over-year, while analysts retain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target near $93.38.

D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 73.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 52,023 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 21,993 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in MetLife were worth $4,107,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $29,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of MetLife during the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MetLife during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Albion Financial Group UT bought a new stake in shares of MetLife during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors own 94.99% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting MetLife

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MetLife raised its quarterly common dividend to $0.5925 (4.4% increase), implying a ~3.0% yield and signaling confidence in capital generation and payout sustainability. This directly supports investor income expectations and helps justify the stock’s gain. MetLife Increases Common Stock Dividend by 4.4%
• Positive Sentiment: A MetLife poll shows a majority of employers back embedding guaranteed lifetime income options into workplace retirement plans — a potential tailwind for MetLife’s annuity/retirement products and future fee/contract revenue. Majority of Employers Support Embedding Guaranteed Lifetime Income Options into Workplace Retirement Plans, MetLife Poll Finds
• Positive Sentiment: MetLife is committing ~$170M to redevelop Chicago’s Water Tower Place, a strategic real-estate bet that could boost long-term earnings from property holdings and signal active portfolio management. Investors may view this as a growth/asset optimization move. MetLife bets $170 million on Water Tower Place transformation
• Neutral Sentiment: MetLife research cited in several outlets warns that major dental bills can quickly deplete savings — this raises awareness of consumer exposure and could modestly boost demand for MetLife’s dental/ancillary insurance products, but it’s more PR than immediate earnings news. MetLife warns major dental bills can drain savings fast
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple reports (NYT, local outlets) about World Cup crowds and travel warnings around MetLife Stadium generate publicity and short-term operational focus for the stadium/venue, but these logistical stories are unlikely to move core insurance results. New Yorkers to World Cup Fans: Please Don’t Walk to MetLife

MetLife Stock Performance

NYSE MET opened at $78.92 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $51.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.79, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.74. MetLife, Inc. has a 12-month low of $67.33 and a 12-month high of $83.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $73.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $76.57.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.34 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $52.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.43 billion. MetLife had a net margin of 4.38% and a return on equity of 21.81%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 27.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.08 EPS. Analysts anticipate that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.85 earnings per share for the current year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.5925 per share. This is a boost from MetLife's previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $2.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. MetLife's payout ratio is currently 48.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MET has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a "moderate buy" rating and set a $87.00 target price on shares of MetLife in a report on Thursday, March 26th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of MetLife from $91.00 to $88.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of MetLife from $101.00 to $93.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of MetLife from $92.00 to $89.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Evercore set a $96.00 price objective on shares of MetLife in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $93.38.

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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