Pacer Advisors Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in MetLife, Inc. $MET

Pacer Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 51.2% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 27,572 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 28,957 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in MetLife were worth $1,950,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MET. Activest Wealth Management boosted its holdings in MetLife by 205.8% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 315 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of MetLife in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of MetLife by 58.9% during 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 during the period. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in MetLife during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in MetLife during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 94.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MET has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of MetLife from $102.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on MetLife from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Mizuho raised their target price on MetLife from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Bank of America decreased their price target on MetLife from $103.00 to $99.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of MetLife from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $100.71.

MetLife News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New $3 billion buyback: MetLife’s board authorized repurchases of up to 4.8% of outstanding shares through open-market purchases. The program signals management’s confidence in the company’s valuation and could support earnings per share over time. MetLife outlines new $3B buyback authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter earnings beat estimates: MetLife reported adjusted EPS of $2.43 versus consensus of $2.30, helped by higher investment income, favorable underwriting, and business-volume growth. Earnings also improved from $2.02 a year earlier. MetLife Tops Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Organic growth remains a key strength: Management highlighted underwriting performance and volume expansion, while maintaining its 2026 MetLife Investment Management outlook of $240 million to $280 million. Analysts described the results as supportive of the long-term buy case. MetLife Q2 Earnings Beat Reaffirms the Buy Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain cautiously optimistic: MetLife has outperformed the broader market over the past year, but valuation and the stock’s recent strength may leave less room for additional near-term gains. MetLife Stock Analyst Estimates and Ratings
• Negative Sentiment: Spread headwinds and higher expenses remain risks: Management’s upbeat earnings commentary was tempered by pressure from investment spreads and elevated expenses, which could weigh on future profit growth despite favorable underwriting and investment income. MetLife Delivers Strong Earnings Amid Spread Headwinds

MetLife Stock Performance

NYSE:MET opened at $97.61 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $90.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $80.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.20 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $62.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.70, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.78. MetLife, Inc. has a 1-year low of $67.33 and a 1-year high of $100.93.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $2.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $13.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. MetLife had a return on equity of 23.39% and a net margin of 4.57%.The company’s revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.02 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 4th will be given a $0.5925 dividend. This represents a $2.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 4th. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.93%.

MetLife announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, August 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 4.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

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.