MetLife, Inc. $MET Stock Holdings Increased by Janus Henderson Group PLC

Key Points

• Janus Henderson Group nearly doubled its MetLife stake in the first quarter, increasing holdings by 96.5% to 181,964 shares valued at approximately $12.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.99% of MetLife’s stock.
• MetLife reported quarterly earnings of $2.42 per share, beating estimates of $2.27, while revenue rose 2.7% year over year to $14.18 billion. Analysts currently hold a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $100.50.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5925 per share, equivalent to $2.37 annually and a 2.5% yield. Shares opened at $96.20, near their 52-week high of $97.80.

Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 96.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 181,964 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 89,341 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC's holdings in MetLife were worth $12,868,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Activest Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of MetLife by 205.8% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of MetLife by 58.9% in 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 last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MetLife during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of MetLife during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in shares of MetLife in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.99% of the company's stock.

MetLife Stock Performance

MET stock opened at $96.20 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $89.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $80.41. MetLife, Inc. has a 52 week low of $67.33 and a 52 week high of $97.80. The stock has a market cap of $61.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.64, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.20.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. MetLife had a net margin of 4.66% and a return on equity of 22.60%. The firm had revenue of $14.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.49 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 4th. MetLife's payout ratio is currently 45.93%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MET has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on MetLife from $96.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Barclays raised their target price on shares of MetLife from $93.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of MetLife from $102.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MetLife from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of MetLife from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $100.50.

MetLife Company Profile

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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