MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) Shares Sold by Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 34,732 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 354 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC’s holdings in MetLife were worth $2,844,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in MetLife by 244.4% during the third quarter. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC now owns 310 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 220 shares during the period. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. increased its stake in shares of MetLife by 131.9% in the 3rd quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC raised its holdings in MetLife by 374.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 351 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in MetLife during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MetLife in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 94.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MetLife Price Performance

MET stock opened at $83.99 on Friday. MetLife, Inc. has a 52-week low of $66.18 and a 52-week high of $89.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market cap of $58.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.07. The business has a fifty day moving average of $83.72 and a two-hundred day moving average of $80.79.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.13 by ($0.05). MetLife had a net margin of 6.19% and a return on equity of 20.42%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.63 earnings per share for the current year.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 4th will be given a dividend of $0.545 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $2.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.60%. MetLife’s payout ratio is currently 36.52%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MET has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com cut shares of MetLife from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on MetLife from $97.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Barclays decreased their target price on MetLife from $96.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on MetLife from $93.00 to $92.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of MetLife in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $97.00 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $91.08.

About MetLife

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.