MetLife, Inc. $MET Shares Bought by Man Group plc

Key Points

• Man Group plc increased its MetLife stake by 151.5% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1.6 million shares valued at about $126 million. Institutional investors now own nearly 95% of MetLife’s stock.
• MetLife’s latest quarterly results beat earnings expectations, with EPS of $2.42 versus the $2.27 consensus, while revenue rose 2.7% year over year. Analysts remain broadly positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $95.31.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.5925 per share from $0.57, bringing the annualized payout to $2.37 and a yield of about 2.8%. The payout ratio stands at 45.93%.

Man Group plc lifted its holdings in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 151.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,596,495 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 961,641 shares during the period. Man Group plc owned approximately 0.24% of MetLife worth $126,027,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Activest Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of MetLife by 205.8% in 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 in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in MetLife by 790.0% in the third quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 356 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in MetLife by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 383 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new stake in shares of MetLife in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of MetLife in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors own 94.99% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about MetLife

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Negative Sentiment: France’s coach and players criticized the MetLife Stadium turf, with repeated comparisons to a hard surface and renewed questions about whether the pitch is suitable for elite soccer. This keeps attention on operational issues at the venue and may pressure sentiment around the MetLife brand. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Additional reports highlight backlash over the stadium’s surface, including comments from Adrien Rabiot and other observers, reinforcing concerns that the field conditions could draw more negative publicity as the tournament continues. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Travel and commuter headaches around World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium were also reported, including congestion and concerns about unsold train tickets, adding another layer of operational criticism tied to the venue. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage noted that NJ Transit received mixed to positive feedback from parts of the crowd, suggesting the transportation situation may be manageable despite earlier concerns. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The World Cup final being scheduled at MetLife Stadium keeps the venue in the global spotlight, but the headline itself is not directly related to MetLife’s insurance operations or near-term fundamentals. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of MetLife from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MetLife from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of MetLife from $87.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of MetLife from $89.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on MetLife from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $95.31.

MetLife Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MET opened at $85.96 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $55.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.66, a PEG ratio of 0.66 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. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $80.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.65. MetLife, Inc. has a one year low of $67.33 and a one year high of $89.62.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.15. MetLife had a net margin of 4.66% and a return on equity of 22.60%. The firm had revenue of $14.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.49 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.96 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

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

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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