MetLife stock falls as Evercore ISI maintains rating amid lower returns

Published 24/06/2025, 11:06
© Reuters.

Investing.com - MetLife (NYSE:MET), a leading global insurance provider with a market capitalization of over $50 billion, announced Tuesday its estimated variable investment income (VII) for the second quarter of 2025 would fall below target, while Evercore ISI maintained its Outperform rating and $110.00 price target on the stock. InvestingPro analysis indicates the company is currently undervalued based on its Fair Value assessment.

The insurance company expects pretax VII to range between $175-225 million for the quarter, with the midpoint of $200 million falling approximately 26 cents below its annual VII target of $1.7 billion. This represents about a 4% return on MetLife’s $19 billion alternatives portfolio, marking the second lowest level in the past 18 months. Despite the lower returns, MetLife maintains a strong financial position with a healthy debt-to-equity ratio and consistent dividend payments, according to InvestingPro data.

The announcement signals a significant decrease from the approximately $330 million pretax VII reported in the first quarter of 2025. MetLife had previously indicated during its first quarter earnings call that it planned to pre-announce alternatives performance ahead of second quarter earnings.

Evercore ISI has lowered its second quarter 2025 estimate for MetLife to $2.13 to reflect this update, compared to the previous consensus estimate of $2.32, while maintaining its core estimate of $2.40. The firm noted that both Equitable Holdings (NYSE:EQH) and Corebridge Financial have indicated they expect alternative investment returns to come in below plan in the second quarter.

The market recovery during June could potentially lead to improved private equity-related alternative returns in the third quarter, as most are reported on a three-month lag, with equity markets up over 7% quarter-to-date and 2% year-to-date, though commercial real estate investments may continue to underperform. Want deeper insights into MetLife’s investment performance and peer comparison? InvestingPro subscribers have access to over 30 additional financial metrics and expert analysis.

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