Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Increases Stake in MetLife, Inc. $MET

Key Points

• Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in MetLife by 13.2% in Q4, buying 114,959 shares to own 984,685 shares worth about $77.7 million (≈0.15% of the company).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but positive on balance — MetLife has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $92.92, with UBS raising its target to $102 while Wells Fargo and others trimmed targets to the $88–$90 area.
• MetLife recently beat quarterly expectations with $2.49 EPS vs. $2.34 expected and revenue up 27.6% year-over-year, while the stock trades around $75.42 with a market cap near $49.2 billion and a PE of 16.05.

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 13.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 984,685 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 114,959 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned about 0.15% of MetLife worth $77,731,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MET. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of MetLife by 3.6% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,585 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Trustmark Bank Trust Department grew its holdings in MetLife by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Trustmark Bank Trust Department now owns 2,870 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $236,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in MetLife by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,192 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $263,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC grew its holdings in MetLife by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC now owns 2,790 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $230,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in MetLife by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 7,040 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $580,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. 94.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting MetLife

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on MET to $102, signaling greater analyst optimism about earnings power and valuation upside. UBS raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: MetLife Foundation announced over $6.5M in global grants to address community needs — a positive ESG/brand item that can support reputation and stakeholder goodwill. MetLife Foundation grants
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage-piece on MetLife’s deal with PineBridge and a push into private credit — this strategic shift could boost investment yields and recurring income but also raises illiquidity and credit-risk considerations for investors. PineBridge & private credit analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: MetLife Stadium will temporarily be renamed (e.g., “New York New Jersey Stadium”) for the FIFA World Cup due to FIFA sponsorship rules — a short-term reduction in visible MetLife branding during a high-profile event; PR impact is limited and temporary. Stadium name change explanation
• Neutral Sentiment: Local transit plans for the World Cup (partial Penn Station closures and commuter discounts) add event logistics uncertainty that could affect attendance patterns around stadium events but are unlikely to materially affect MetLife’s financials. Commuter discounts for Penn Station closure
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its MET price target to $90, introducing a bearish analyst view that could cap near-term upside and pressure sentiment among institutional holders. Wells Fargo cuts price target

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of MetLife from $93.00 to $90.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MetLife from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. TD Cowen lowered their price target 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 lowered their price target 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. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of MetLife from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MetLife currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $92.92.

MetLife Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:MET opened at $75.42 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $49.18 billion, a PE ratio of 16.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. MetLife, Inc. has a twelve month low of $67.33 and a twelve month high of $83.85. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $73.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $76.91.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.34 by $0.15. The business 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 company's revenue was up 27.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.08 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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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