MetLife, Inc. MET is well-poised to grow on the back of higher premiums, cost-cutting efforts, cash generation ability and strategic acquisitions and partnerships. Its forward P/E of 7.97X is lower than the industry average of 8.77X. The company has a Value Score of A.
MetLife — with a market capitalization of $53.3 billion — is an insurance-based global financial services company that primarily provides protection and investment products to a range of individual and institutional customers. Beyond offering individual annuities, insurance and investment products, the company also delivers group insurance, as well as retirement and savings products and services. Over the past year, shares of MET have grown 4.5%, outperforming the industry’s 2.3% fall.
Courtesy of solid prospects, MET currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Where Do Estimates for MET Stand?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MetLife’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $9.96 per share, indicating a 12.8% year-over-year rise, which has been revised upward over the past 30 days. Furthermore, the consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $79.1 billion for 2026, implying a 0.3% year-over-year rise. It beat earnings estimates in three of the past four quarters and missed once, with an average surprise of 2.4%.
MetLife, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
MetLife, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | MetLife, Inc. Quote
MET’s Growth Drivers
MetLife's growth continues to be supported by the breadth of its global franchise and diversified business mix. During the first quarter of 2026, the company delivered strong momentum across Group Benefits, Retirement and Income Solutions, Asia, Latin America and EMEA, with particularly robust sales growth in Japan, Korea and Latin America. Its total premiums rose 3.4% year over year in the same quarter.
Rising demand for retirement and income products, employee benefits and protection solutions, combined with favorable demographic trends in several markets, is helping MetLife expand revenue streams while maintaining healthy underwriting margins. In the first quarter of 2026, total revenues increased 2.7% year over year.
It is entering the next phase of its New Frontier strategy with a focus on translating its market leadership into sustained earnings growth. The company is capitalizing on favorable demographic trends, including an aging population and rising retirement planning needs, while leveraging its diversified insurance and asset management platforms to capture new opportunities. Combined with disciplined capital allocation and continued expansion across key international markets, these initiatives are expected to support long-term value creation and strengthen MetLife’s competitive position.
A major pillar of MetLife's strategy is technology modernization and the broader use of artificial intelligence across its operations. After investing heavily in its digital infrastructure over the past several years, the company is using AI to improve customer experiences, streamline processes, enhance decision-making and drive productivity gains. Meanwhile, MET is also strengthening its asset management capabilities through the integration of PineBridge Investments, expanding innovative products in high-growth markets and leveraging technology to improve efficiency.
MetLife’s robust liquidity position, evidenced by $22.7 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2026, far exceeds its short-term debt of $404 million. This financial strength supports shareholder returns through share repurchases and dividend payouts. The company bought back common shares worth $750 million in the first quarter of 2026. It pursued additional repurchases of roughly $200 million in April 2026. Its dividend yield of 2.9% remains higher than the industry’s average of 2.6%.
MET: Risks to Watch
However, there are some factors that investors should keep a careful eye on.
MET’s variable investment income has been volatile in recent years and remained below target at $1.5 billion in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, the metric came to $518 million. The company expects $1.6 billion in 2026, but performance remains sensitive to private equity and real estate markets.
MetLife’s return on invested capital (ROIC) is 1.8%, below the industry average of 2.2%. This indicates relatively weaker capital efficiency and modest returns on its investments.
Better-Ranked Players
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader insurance space are Octave Specialty Group, Inc. OSG, Pelagos Insurance Capital Ltd. PLGO and The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. THG, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Octave Specialty Group’s current-year earnings of 45 cents per share has witnessed one upward revision in the past 30 days against none in the opposite direction. OSG’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 464.4%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $358.9 million, suggesting a 42.9% year-over-year jump.
The consensus estimate for Pelagos Insurance Capital’s current-year earnings is pegged at $3.78 per share, which signals 96.9% year-over-year growth. Its earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 53.6%. The consensus mark for PLGO’s current-year revenues of $2.8 billion implies an 11.4% year-over-year rise.
The consensus estimate for Hanover Insurance’s current-year earnings is pegged at $18.36 per share, which has witnessed two upward revisions in the past 30 days against none in the opposite direction. Its earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 28.5%. The consensus estimate for THG’s current-year revenues is pegged at $7 billion, which implies 4.7% year-over-year growth.
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MetLife, Inc. (MET): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).