Janus Henderson Group PLC Has $12.87 Million Stake in MetLife, Inc. $MET

Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 96.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 181,964 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 89,341 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in MetLife were worth $12,868,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MET. Activest Wealth Management lifted its stake in MetLife by 205.8% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of MetLife in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of MetLife in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 94.99% of the company’s stock.

MetLife Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:MET opened at $96.20 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $61.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.64, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.78. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $89.18 and its 200-day moving average is $80.41. MetLife, Inc. has a 52-week low of $67.33 and a 52-week high of $97.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.20.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 22.60% and a net margin of 4.66%.The business had revenue of $14.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.96 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.89 earnings per share for the current year.

MetLife Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 4th will be given a $0.5925 dividend. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 4th. MetLife’s payout ratio is currently 45.93%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on MET shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MetLife from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on MetLife from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on MetLife from $87.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on MetLife from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Atlantic Securities set a $103.00 target price on MetLife in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MetLife has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.50.

MetLife 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.