MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $88.46.

A number of brokerages have commented on MET. Barclays decreased 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. StockNews.com raised MetLife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup upped their price objective on MetLife from $83.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on MetLife from $85.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on MetLife from $99.00 to $96.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 1st.

MetLife Stock Performance

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

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 5th. This represents a $2.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.66%. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.95%.

Institutional Trading of MetLife

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of MetLife by 244.4% during the 3rd quarter. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC now owns 310 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. raised its position in MetLife by 131.9% in the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC raised its position in MetLife by 374.3% in the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 351 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in MetLife in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in MetLife by 177.3% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 416 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. 89.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About MetLife

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.