Ashton Thomas Securities LLC Takes Position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET)

Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 672 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $55,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its stake in shares of MetLife by 54.9% during the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 371,062 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,983,000 after purchasing an additional 131,538 shares during the period. PFG Investments LLC boosted its position in MetLife by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 6,360 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $525,000 after buying an additional 520 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new position in MetLife in the 1st quarter worth about $1,053,000. M&G Plc bought a new stake in shares of MetLife during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,346,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its stake in shares of MetLife by 53.0% during the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 618,650 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $45,848,000 after acquiring an additional 214,367 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.81% of the company’s stock.

MetLife Price Performance

NYSE MET opened at $82.02 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $81.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.54, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. MetLife, Inc. has a 12-month low of $61.16 and a 12-month high of $86.94.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 5th will be given a dividend of $0.545 per share. This represents a $2.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.66%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 5th. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.95%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Barclays reduced their price objective on MetLife from $91.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Bank of America decreased their price objective on MetLife from $99.00 to $96.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 1st. StockNews.com upgraded shares of MetLife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of MetLife in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $97.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of MetLife from $83.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $88.46.

MetLife Profile

MetLife, Inc, a financial services company, provides insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management services worldwide. It operates through six segments: Retirement and Income Solutions; Group Benefits; Asia; Latin America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and MetLife Holdings. The company offers life, dental, group short-and long-term disability, individual disability, pet insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, vision, and accident and health coverages, as well as prepaid legal plans; administrative services-only arrangements to employers; and general and separate account, and synthetic guaranteed interest contracts, as well as private floating rate funding agreements.