MetLife (NYSE:MET) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded MetLife from buy to hold, even as the broader analyst picture remains constructive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $93.85.
• MetLife reported quarterly EPS of $2.42, beating the $2.27 estimate, but revenue of $14.18 billion came in below expectations. The company also posted solid profitability metrics, including a 22.57% return on equity.
• The stock was trading around $78.08, below several analyst price targets, while institutional ownership remains high at 94.99%. Recent investor activity showed multiple large funds adding to or initiating positions in the insurer.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a "moderate buy" rating and set a $87.00 price objective on shares of MetLife in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on MetLife from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Evercore set a $96.00 price objective on MetLife in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho set a $95.00 price objective on MetLife in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded MetLife from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One investment 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $93.85.

MetLife Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of MET stock opened at $78.08 on Friday. MetLife has a 12 month low of $67.33 and a 12 month high of $83.85. The firm has a market cap of $50.91 billion, a PE ratio of 15.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 0.78. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $73.33 and a 200-day moving average of $76.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

MetLife (NYSE:MET - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.15. MetLife had a return on equity of 22.57% and a net margin of 4.66%.The company had revenue of $14.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.96 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that MetLife will post 9.89 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of MetLife

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MET. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in shares of MetLife during the first quarter worth $307,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of MetLife by 187.6% during the first 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 last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of MetLife during the second quarter worth $404,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of MetLife during the second quarter worth $444,000. Institutional investors own 94.99% of the company's stock.

More MetLife News

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MetLife reported Q1 2026 EPS of $2.42, beating Wall Street’s $2.27 estimate, with strength tied to higher investment income, underwriting gains, and solid growth in group benefits and Asia business. Article: MET Tops Q1 EPS Estimates on Strong Investment Income and Volume Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Reuters and Bloomberg highlighted that MetLife’s quarterly profit jumped, helped by better PE returns and strong demand in Asia, reinforcing the view that core earnings momentum remains healthy. Article: Insurer MetLife's quarterly profit jumps on strong Asia demand
• Positive Sentiment: MetLife’s earnings call summary and presentation emphasize improving operating performance and strong first-quarter financial results, which may continue to support sentiment around the stock. Article: MetLife, Inc. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: News that MetLife Stadium is replacing turf with natural grass ahead of World Cup matches is tied to the venue, not MetLife’s insurance business, so it is unlikely to have a direct impact on the company’s stock. Article: Grass installation starts at MetLife Stadium ahead of World Cup
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional stadium and World Cup logistics coverage, including pitch installation and transit pricing, looks more relevant to event operations than MetLife’s fundamentals. Article: NJ Transit lowers price to $105 for train tickets to World Cup games at MetLife Stadium
• Negative Sentiment: The main offset in the earnings release was a revenue miss versus expectations, which could cap upside if investors decide earnings strength was driven more by favorable investment returns than by top-line growth. Article: NJ Transit lowers World Cup train ticket prices from NYC to MetLife — and it’s still an 800% markup

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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