MetLife, Inc. $MET Stock Purchased by Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 159.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 220,050 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 135,186 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in MetLife were worth $20,720,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Diversify Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in MetLife by 46.3% in the third quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,751 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,078,000 after buying an additional 3,401 shares in the last quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in MetLife by 4.1% during the third quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,391 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $319,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its holdings in MetLife by 1.1% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 78,937 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,433,000 after purchasing an additional 864 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Stockton lifted its position in shares of MetLife by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Stockton now owns 6,940 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $653,000 after buying an additional 319 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MetLife during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $209,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.99% of the company’s stock.

MetLife Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MET opened at $98.86 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $97.27 and a 200-day simple moving average of $89.81. MetLife, Inc. has a one year low of $67.33 and a one year high of $103.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $63.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.94, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.78.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $2.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.13. MetLife had a net margin of 4.57% and a return on equity of 23.39%. The business had revenue of $13.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.02 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.94 EPS for the current year.

MetLife declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, August 5th that allows the company to buy back $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 4.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.5925 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 3rd. This represents a $2.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.40%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MET shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of MetLife from $108.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of MetLife from $110.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of MetLife from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Argus upped their price objective on shares of MetLife from $93.00 to $109.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on MetLife from $109.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $105.44.

MetLife Profile

MetLife, Inc (NYSE: MET) is a global financial services company that provides insurance, retirement, and employee benefits solutions to individuals, employers, and institutions. Its offerings include life insurance, dental and vision coverage, accident and disability insurance, annuities, retirement savings products, and related financial services.

Through its institutional and workplace businesses, MetLife helps employers provide benefits and retirement programs to their employees. The company also serves individual customers with protection and income products.