MetLife stock gains as buyback and EPS growth stand out

Published on 09/09/2026 at 22:26 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

MetLife stock traded at USD 78.45 on September 8, 2026, after a 0.3 percent slide. Q2 2026 EPS was USD 2.43, above consensus by USD 0.13.

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MetLife Inc. (ISIN US59156R1086) stock traded at USD 78.45 on the NYSE on September 8, 2026, after a 0.3 percent decline in the session. The shares moved between USD 78.10 and USD 79.10, while volume reached about 3.2 million shares.

Buyback and dividend

MetLife said on August 5, 2026 that its board authorized a USD 3 billion share repurchase plan and kept the quarterly dividend at USD 0.5925 per share, according to MarketBeat. The payout implies an annualized dividend of USD 2.37 per share.

MetLife also reported second-quarter 2026 EPS of USD 2.43, above the USD 2.30 consensus estimate by USD 0.13, while revenue reached USD 13.52 billion, up 10.5 percent year over year, according to MarketBeat. The same update put net margin at 4.57 percent and return on equity at 23.39 percent.

Analysts stay constructive

According to MarketBeat, analysts kept a Buy consensus on MetLife and lifted the average price target to USD 102.21, which is 7.0 percent above the reported USD 95.45 stock price in the same note. Morgan Stanley raised its target from USD 103.00 to USD 111.00, while Wells Fargo moved from USD 101.00 to USD 109.00, both cited in the same update.

At the KBW Insurance Conference on September 9, 2026, MetLife said its New Frontier plan is ahead of schedule, with 2025 EPS growth of 10 percent, 2025 free cash flow of nearly USD 5 billion and 2024 adjusted ROE of 17 percent, according to Investing.com. Management also said the company remains on track for a USD 1.6 billion full-year variable investment income target and about USD 50 million in annualized cost synergies from PineBridge.

Stock near its range

MetLife stock closed at USD 78.45 on September 8, 2026, which leaves it below the 52-week high of USD 100.93 and above the 52-week low of USD 67.33. The market value stood at USD 61.41 billion in the same MarketBeat snapshot.