Brookstone Capital Management Has $559,000 Position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET)

Brookstone Capital Management grew its stake in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 30.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 7,539 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,762 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management’s holdings in MetLife were worth $559,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Criterion Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in MetLife in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in MetLife in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new position in MetLife in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Pineridge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in MetLife in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, DT Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in MetLife in the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.81% of the company’s stock.

MetLife Price Performance

Shares of MET stock opened at $70.19 on Monday. MetLife, Inc. has a 52-week low of $55.18 and a 52-week high of $74.68. The stock has a market cap of $49.91 billion, a PE ratio of 24.12, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.16. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $71.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.16.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The financial services provider reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83. MetLife had a net margin of 3.50% and a return on equity of 20.39%. The firm had revenue of $17.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.73 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.52 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that MetLife, Inc. will post 8.62 EPS for the current year.

MetLife Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 7th were issued a $0.545 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 6th. This is a positive change from MetLife’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.11%. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 74.91%.

MetLife announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Wednesday, May 1st that permits the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the financial services provider to repurchase up to 6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MET has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of MetLife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of MetLife from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of MetLife from $88.00 to $83.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on shares of MetLife from $87.00 to $86.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of MetLife from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $79.92.

MetLife Company 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.