Short Interest in Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF) Increases By 13.4%

Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,270,000 shares, a growth of 13.4% from the February 29th total of 1,120,000 shares. Currently, 2.0% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 417,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Brighthouse Financial from $51.00 to $49.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated an "underperform" rating and set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Brighthouse Financial in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded Brighthouse Financial from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and set a $52.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Brighthouse Financial currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $50.14.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Brighthouse Financial news, EVP Vonda Huss sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.85, for a total transaction of $468,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,080 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,268,698. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Eric T. Steigerwalt sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.96, for a total transaction of $1,174,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 390,765 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,350,324.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Vonda Huss sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.85, for a total transaction of $468,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,080 shares in the company, valued at $1,268,698. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brighthouse Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BHF. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its holdings in Brighthouse Financial by 412.3% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 543 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 437 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Brighthouse Financial by 123.2% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 732 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares during the period. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in Brighthouse Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Brighthouse Financial during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in Brighthouse Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $60,000. 81.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Brighthouse Financial Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ:BHF traded up $0.35 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $51.54. 446,831 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 428,045. The firm has a market cap of $3.24 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.78 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. Brighthouse Financial has a 52-week low of $39.24 and a 52-week high of $56.24. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $49.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $49.73.

Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.83 by ($0.91). Brighthouse Financial had a positive return on equity of 20.71% and a negative net margin of 27.01%. The business had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.13 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.51 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Brighthouse Financial will post 16.98 EPS for the current year.

About Brighthouse Financial

Brighthouse Financial, Inc provides annuity and life insurance products in the United States. It operates through three segments: Annuities, Life, and Run-off. The Annuities segment offers variable, fixed, index-linked, and income annuities for contract holders' needs for protected wealth accumulation on a tax-deferred basis, wealth transfer, and income security.