6,739 Shares in MetLife, Inc. $MET Acquired by ClearAlpha Technologies LP

ClearAlpha Technologies LP bought a new position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 6,739 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $532,000. MetLife makes up about 1.5% of ClearAlpha Technologies LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of MetLife by 205.8% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new stake in shares of MetLife in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MetLife during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 94.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MetLife Price Performance

NYSE MET opened at $85.96 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $80.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.65. The company has a market cap of $55.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.66, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.78. MetLife, Inc. has a 1 year low of $67.33 and a 1 year high of $89.62.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $14.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.49 billion. MetLife had a net margin of 4.66% and a return on equity of 22.60%. MetLife’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.98 EPS for the current year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 12th were issued a dividend of $0.5925 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is an increase from MetLife’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. MetLife’s payout ratio is currently 45.93%.

Key Headlines Impacting MetLife

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Negative Sentiment: France’s coach and players criticized the MetLife Stadium turf, with repeated comparisons to a hard surface and renewed questions about whether the pitch is suitable for elite soccer. This keeps attention on operational issues at the venue and may pressure sentiment around the MetLife brand. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Additional reports highlight backlash over the stadium’s surface, including comments from Adrien Rabiot and other observers, reinforcing concerns that the field conditions could draw more negative publicity as the tournament continues. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Travel and commuter headaches around World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium were also reported, including congestion and concerns about unsold train tickets, adding another layer of operational criticism tied to the venue. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage noted that NJ Transit received mixed to positive feedback from parts of the crowd, suggesting the transportation situation may be manageable despite earlier concerns. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The World Cup final being scheduled at MetLife Stadium keeps the venue in the global spotlight, but the headline itself is not directly related to MetLife’s insurance operations or near-term fundamentals. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MET. Evercore set a $96.00 price target on shares of MetLife in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MetLife from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of MetLife from $103.00 to $99.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of MetLife from $87.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of MetLife from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MetLife currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.31.

MetLife Profile

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.