Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF) Stock Rated “Hold” by Sell-Side Analysts

Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the seven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $58.33.

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Brighthouse Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Brighthouse Financial from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Brighthouse Financial from $57.00 to $55.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Brighthouse Financial from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $63.00 to $55.00 in a report on Thursday, October 15th.

Brighthouse Financial Stock Performance

Brighthouse Financial stock opened at $43.99 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market cap of $2.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.47, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.81. Brighthouse Financial has a 1-year low of $41.01 and a 1-year high of $66.80. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $48.62 and a 200-day moving average of $58.43.

Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $3.68 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.96 by ($1.28). Brighthouse Financial had a return on equity of 17.24% and a net margin of 12.49%. The business had revenue of $853.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.54 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Brighthouse Financial will post 18.84 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brighthouse Financial

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Brighthouse Financial by 8.7% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $167,000 after buying an additional 224 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its stake in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 2.6% in the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 11,735 shares of the company’s stock valued at $703,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 13,768 shares of the company’s stock worth $824,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,427 shares of the company’s stock worth $205,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 113,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,772,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. 81.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Brighthouse Financial Company Profile

Brighthouse Financial is a U.S. life insurance and annuity company focused on helping individuals protect against financial risks and prepare for retirement. Its products include annuities designed to provide retirement income and life insurance policies that offer financial protection for families.

The company distributes its products through independent agents and other financial professionals, including broker-dealers and banks. Brighthouse primarily serves customers in the United States.

Brighthouse Financial became an independent, publicly traded company in 2017 after separating from MetLife.