AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc Sells 15,116 Shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET)

AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc decreased its stake in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 433,747 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 15,116 shares during the period. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc owned 0.06% of MetLife worth $35,771,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in MetLife in the third quarter valued at approximately $60,000. AIA Group Ltd grew its stake in shares of MetLife by 101.4% in the third quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 13,539 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,117,000 after buying an additional 6,818 shares in the last quarter. Summit Global Investments increased its holdings in MetLife by 259.0% during the third quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 189,512 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,631,000 after buying an additional 136,723 shares during the last quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC raised its position in MetLife by 4.4% during the third quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC now owns 11,311 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $933,000 after acquiring an additional 475 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its stake in MetLife by 28.7% in the third quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 6,372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $526,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.81% of the company’s stock.

MetLife Stock Performance

NYSE MET opened at $81.03 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $81.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.19. The stock has a market cap of $56.11 billion, a PE ratio of 16.34, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.16. MetLife, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $59.24 and a fifty-two week high of $86.94.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 5th will be given a $0.545 dividend. This represents a $2.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.69%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 5th. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MET. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of MetLife from $89.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. Bank of America decreased their target price on MetLife from $99.00 to $96.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on MetLife from $92.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays decreased their target price on MetLife from $91.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on shares of MetLife in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $97.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MetLife currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $88.46.

MetLife Profile

MetLife, Inc, a financial services company, provides insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management services worldwide. It operates through six segments: Retirement and Income Solutions; Group Benefits; Asia; Latin America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and MetLife Holdings. The company offers life, dental, group short-and long-term disability, individual disability, pet insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, vision, and accident and health coverages, as well as prepaid legal plans; administrative services-only arrangements to employers; and general and separate account, and synthetic guaranteed interest contracts, as well as private floating rate funding agreements.