Pacer Advisors Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in MetLife, Inc. $MET

Key Points

• Pacer Advisors cut its MetLife stake by 51.2% in the first quarter, selling 28,957 shares and retaining 27,572 shares worth approximately $1.95 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.99% of MetLife’s stock.
• MetLife reported adjusted second-quarter EPS of $2.43, beating the $2.30 consensus estimate and rising from $2.02 a year earlier. Results benefited from stronger investment income, favorable underwriting and business-volume growth, though spread pressure and higher expenses remain risks.
• The board authorized a $3 billion share repurchase program, covering up to 4.8% of outstanding shares, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5925, equivalent to a 2.4% annualized yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $100.71.

Pacer Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 51.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 27,572 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 28,957 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in MetLife were worth $1,950,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of MetLife by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,240 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $347,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of MetLife during the 1st quarter worth $307,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of MetLife by 187.6% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,378 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,680,000 after purchasing an additional 21,771 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in MetLife during the second quarter worth about $404,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in MetLife in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $444,000. 94.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MetLife News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New $3 billion buyback: MetLife’s board authorized repurchases of up to 4.8% of outstanding shares through open-market purchases. The program signals management’s confidence in the company’s valuation and could support earnings per share over time. MetLife outlines new $3B buyback authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter earnings beat estimates: MetLife reported adjusted EPS of $2.43 versus consensus of $2.30, helped by higher investment income, favorable underwriting, and business-volume growth. Earnings also improved from $2.02 a year earlier. MetLife Tops Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Organic growth remains a key strength: Management highlighted underwriting performance and volume expansion, while maintaining its 2026 MetLife Investment Management outlook of $240 million to $280 million. Analysts described the results as supportive of the long-term buy case. MetLife Q2 Earnings Beat Reaffirms the Buy Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain cautiously optimistic: MetLife has outperformed the broader market over the past year, but valuation and the stock’s recent strength may leave less room for additional near-term gains. MetLife Stock Analyst Estimates and Ratings
• Negative Sentiment: Spread headwinds and higher expenses remain risks: Management’s upbeat earnings commentary was tempered by pressure from investment spreads and elevated expenses, which could weigh on future profit growth despite favorable underwriting and investment income. MetLife Delivers Strong Earnings Amid Spread Headwinds

MetLife Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of MET stock opened at $97.61 on Friday. MetLife, Inc. has a twelve month low of $67.33 and a twelve month high of $100.93. The company has a market capitalization of $62.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.70, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.78. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $90.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $80.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $2.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $13.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.67 billion. MetLife had a net margin of 4.57% and a return on equity of 23.39%. MetLife's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.02 EPS. Research analysts forecast that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, August 5th that allows the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to reacquire up to 4.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

MetLife Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 4th will be given a $0.5925 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 4th. This represents a $2.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. MetLife's payout ratio is currently 45.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on MetLife from $96.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Mizuho lifted their price target on MetLife from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MetLife from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, June 15th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of MetLife from $87.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MetLife from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $100.71.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source