MUFG Securities EMEA plc Has $10.85 Million Stock Holdings in MetLife, Inc. $MET

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc sharply increased its MetLife stake in the fourth quarter, boosting holdings by 1,185.9% to 137,490 shares valued at about $10.85 million.
• MetLife is expanding its retirement and annuity offerings, including a new flexible guaranteed income product and added liquidity features, which could help drive sales growth.
• The company delivered solid earnings and continues rewarding shareholders, with Q1 EPS of $2.42 beating estimates and a higher quarterly dividend of $0.5925 per share, while analysts maintain a moderate buy outlook.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc lifted its holdings in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 1,185.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 137,490 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 126,798 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in MetLife were worth $10,853,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of MetLife by 205.8% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of MetLife by 790.0% during the third quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 356 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of MetLife by 58.9% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MetLife during the third quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Albion Financial Group UT purchased a new stake in shares of MetLife during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.99% of the company's stock.

MetLife News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MetLife announced an expansion of its guaranteed retirement income lineup with a new flexible annuity option, which could support sales growth and reinforce its core insurance/retirement franchise. MetLife Expands Guaranteed Retirement Income Offering with Innovative Flexible Annuity Option
• Positive Sentiment: MetLife also added liquidity to an annuity product, another sign it is trying to make its retirement offerings more attractive to customers seeking flexibility and access to funds. MetLife Adds Liquidity To Annuity As Stock Trades Below Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: DOWLING & PARTN issued earnings estimates for MetLife above or near the Street for the next several years, including FY2027 EPS of $10.75 and FY2028 EPS of $12.00, reinforcing confidence in long-term profit growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several headlines mentioning “MetLife” were unrelated to the insurer and referred to MetLife Stadium or World Cup coverage, so they are unlikely to materially affect the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: A report that MetLife is clashing with Ares over a struggling football investment could raise some concern about a specific investment exposure, but it appears secondary to the more important product and earnings news. MetLife clashes with Ares over struggling football investment

MetLife Price Performance

NYSE MET opened at $82.83 on Monday. MetLife, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $67.33 and a fifty-two week high of $85.29. The stock's 50-day moving average is $76.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $76.85. 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 market cap of $53.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.78.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 return on equity of 22.60% and a net margin of 4.66%.The company had revenue of $14.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.49 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.96 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.5925 per share. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. This is an increase from MetLife's previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 12th. MetLife's dividend payout ratio is 45.93%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on MET shares. UBS Group increased their price objective on MetLife from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered MetLife from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Bank of America cut their price objective on MetLife from $103.00 to $99.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded MetLife from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One research 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.31.

MetLife 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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