ClearAlpha Technologies LP Purchases Shares of 6,739 MetLife, Inc. $MET

ClearAlpha Technologies LP purchased a new stake in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 6,739 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $532,000. MetLife accounts for 1.5% of ClearAlpha Technologies LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Boothbay Fund Management LLC bought a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter valued at $782,000. Integrated Advisors Network LLC boosted its holdings in MetLife by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 4,134 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the period. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter valued at $61,000. Abel Hall LLC bought a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter valued at $353,000. Finally, EFG International AG bought a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter valued at $675,000. 94.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MetLife Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of MetLife stock opened at $85.96 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $80.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.65. MetLife, Inc. has a 12-month low of $67.33 and a 12-month high of $89.62.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last announced its earnings results 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 business 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%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.96 EPS. Research analysts expect that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th were given a $0.5925 dividend. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 12th. This is a boost from MetLife’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio is 45.93%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MET has been the subject of a number of research reports. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of MetLife from $103.00 to $99.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of MetLife from $89.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Mizuho set a $95.00 price objective on shares of MetLife in a report on Friday, May 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of MetLife from $87.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of MetLife from $89.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. One 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 company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.31.

MetLife News Summary

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

MetLife Company 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.