TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. Buys 215,666 Shares of MetLife, Inc. $MET

Key Points

• TD Waterhouse Canada increased its MetLife stake by 136.5% in the third quarter, acquiring 215,666 additional shares for a total of 373,636 shares valued at approximately $35.28 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.99% of MetLife.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with 13 Buy ratings and two Holds, a “Moderate Buy” consensus, and an average price target of $105.19.
• MetLife reported quarterly EPS of $2.43, exceeding estimates, and maintains shareholder-return initiatives including a $0.5925 quarterly dividend and a newly authorized $3 billion share-repurchase program.

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET - Free Report) by 136.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 373,636 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 215,666 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. owned 0.06% of MetLife worth $35,280,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MET. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MetLife in the second quarter worth about $4,381,692,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MetLife in the second quarter worth about $941,792,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in MetLife during the second quarter valued at approximately $455,424,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in MetLife during the second quarter valued at approximately $326,904,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in MetLife during the second quarter valued at approximately $293,287,000. 94.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MET has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on MetLife from $103.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on MetLife from $105.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on MetLife from $109.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on MetLife from $103.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised shares of MetLife from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the company from $99.00 to $110.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $105.19.

Key MetLife News

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target for MetLife from $108 to $110 and maintained an “overweight” rating. The new target implies approximately 9% upside from the referenced share price, signaling continued confidence in MetLife’s earnings outlook and valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: Dowling & Partners increased its FY2026 EPS forecast to $10.30 from $10.10. The revised estimate is also above the broader consensus forecast of $9.90, suggesting expectations for stronger profitability. MetLife Hits New 52-Week High on Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: MetLife reached a new 52-week high following an analyst upgrade. The move reflects sustained investor demand and momentum around the insurer’s earnings performance and analyst outlook. MetLife Hits New 52-Week High on Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerages’ consensus price target is reported at $105.06, providing additional evidence that analysts see potential upside for MET. MetLife Consensus Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: MetLife Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to Ascendus for its Get Ready program. The initiative supports financial preparedness and may enhance MetLife’s corporate reputation, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Ascendus Expands Get Ready Program
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles about concerts, NFL venues and events at MetLife Stadium concern the stadium’s entertainment operations, not MetLife, Inc.’s insurance and financial-services business, so they are not expected to influence MET materially.

MetLife Stock Performance

MetLife stock opened at $100.73 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $96.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $88.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a market cap of $64.82 billion, a PE ratio of 19.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.78. MetLife, Inc. has a twelve month low of $67.33 and a twelve month high of $102.43.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.13. MetLife had a net margin of 4.57% and a return on equity of 23.39%. The firm had revenue of $13.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.02 EPS. The business's revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.5925 per share. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 3rd. MetLife's payout ratio is presently 45.40%.

MetLife announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, August 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to repurchase up to 4.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Share repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc NYSE: MET is a global financial services company that provides insurance, retirement, and employee benefits solutions to individuals, employers, and institutions. Its offerings include life insurance, dental and vision coverage, accident and disability insurance, annuities, retirement savings products, and related financial services.

Through its institutional and workplace businesses, MetLife helps employers provide benefits and retirement programs to their employees. The company also serves individual customers with protection and income products.

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