Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. Has $14.61 Million Stake in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET)

Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. lowered its position in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 178,441 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,561 shares during the quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P.’s holdings in MetLife were worth $14,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Atomi Financial Group Inc. raised its position in MetLife by 44.4% in the third quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,090 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $502,000 after purchasing an additional 1,873 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in MetLife by 15.0% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 18,256 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,506,000 after acquiring an additional 2,383 shares in the last quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC increased its stake in MetLife by 12.0% during the 3rd quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 3,785 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital lifted its position in MetLife by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 9,313 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $773,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in MetLife by 2.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 6,756 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $557,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.99% of the company’s stock.

MetLife Price Performance

MetLife stock opened at $83.99 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.16. MetLife, Inc. has a 1 year low of $66.18 and a 1 year high of $89.05. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $83.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $80.73.

MetLife (NYSE:MET) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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, equities research analysts anticipate that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MetLife Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays cut their price objective 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 decreased their price objective on MetLife from $93.00 to $92.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. StockNews.com lowered MetLife from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of MetLife in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $97.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of MetLife from $86.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target 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.