Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF) Cut to “Sell” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on BHF. Weiss Ratings downgraded Brighthouse Financial from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of Brighthouse Financial from $57.00 to $55.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Brighthouse Financial from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $63.00 to $55.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to MarketBeat.com, Brighthouse Financial currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $58.33.

Brighthouse Financial Price Performance

BHF stock opened at $43.99 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $48.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $58.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market cap of $2.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.81. Brighthouse Financial has a 52-week low of $41.01 and a 52-week high of $66.80.

Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $3.68 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.96 by ($1.28). Brighthouse Financial had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 17.24%. The business had revenue of $853.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.18 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.54 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Brighthouse Financial will post 18.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brighthouse Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new stake in Brighthouse Financial during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 390.3% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 8,900.0% in the third quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 623 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new position in shares of Brighthouse Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brighthouse Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 81.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Brighthouse Financial

Brighthouse Financial is a U.S. life insurance and annuity company focused on helping individuals protect against financial risks and prepare for retirement. Its products include annuities designed to provide retirement income and life insurance policies that offer financial protection for families.

The company distributes its products through independent agents and other financial professionals, including broker-dealers and banks. Brighthouse primarily serves customers in the United States.

Brighthouse Financial became an independent, publicly traded company in 2017 after separating from MetLife.