Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. Has $2.10 Million Position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET)

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 9.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 25,588 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,125 shares during the period. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s holdings in MetLife were worth $2,095,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Values First Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in MetLife in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of MetLife during the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. 94.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MetLife Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MET opened at $83.02 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $83.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $82.57. MetLife, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $67.30 and a fifty-two week high of $89.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.16 and a quick ratio of 0.16.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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, analysts predict that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th were paid a $0.545 dividend. This represents a $2.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.63%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 4th. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MET. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on MetLife from $92.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on MetLife from $100.00 to $98.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com lowered MetLife from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on MetLife from $101.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on MetLife from $86.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $94.58.

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.