MetLife (NYSE:MET) Given New $98.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

MetLife (NYSE:METFree Report) had its price target increased by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $87.00 to $98.00 in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

MET has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MetLife from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of MetLife from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of MetLife from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays upped their target price on shares of MetLife from $89.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Mizuho set a $95.00 target price on shares of MetLife in a research note on Friday, May 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MetLife presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.15.

View Our Latest Research Report on MetLife

MetLife Stock Performance

Shares of MetLife stock opened at $78.05 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $50.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.13, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.78. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $73.65 and its 200 day moving average is $76.52. MetLife has a 1 year low of $67.33 and a 1 year high of $83.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.20 and a quick ratio of 0.20.

MetLife (NYSE:METGet Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $14.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.49 billion. MetLife had a net margin of 4.66% and a return on equity of 22.60%. MetLife’s revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MetLife will post 9.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be issued a $0.5925 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. This is a positive change from MetLife’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. MetLife’s payout ratio is currently 45.93%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MetLife

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Activest Wealth Management grew its holdings in MetLife by 205.8% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its holdings in MetLife by 790.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 356 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in MetLife by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 383 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 94.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting MetLife

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

MetLife Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

See Also

Analyst Recommendations for MetLife (NYSE:MET)

Receive News & Ratings for MetLife Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MetLife and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.