MetLife, Inc. $MET Holdings Lifted by Leonteq Securities AG

Leonteq Securities AG boosted its holdings in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 90.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,502 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 11,647 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG’s holdings in MetLife were worth $1,733,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Activest Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of MetLife by 205.8% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in MetLife by 790.0% in 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 during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in MetLife by 58.9% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 383 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of MetLife during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. 94.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MetLife Stock Down 0.2%

MetLife stock opened at $89.90 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. MetLife, Inc. has a 1-year low of $67.33 and a 1-year high of $90.06. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $83.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $78.34. The company has a market capitalization of $57.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.42, a P/E/G ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 0.78.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $14.18 billion during 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 for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.96 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th were given a $0.5925 dividend. This is an increase from MetLife’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. This represents a $2.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 12th. MetLife’s payout ratio is presently 45.93%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on MET shares. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of MetLife from $91.00 to $88.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MetLife from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on MetLife from $87.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen downgraded MetLife from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on MetLife from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.62.

About MetLife

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.