MetLife Inc (MET)

[DewDiligence]

MET 2Q23 CC transcript:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/q2-2023-metlife-inc-earnings-041804027.html

[DewDiligence]

MET 2Q23 results…

PR:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-second-quarter-2023-201500351.html

5-minute video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-cfo-john-mccallion-provides-201500141.html

[DewDiligence]

MET inks reinsurance deal—boosts buyback authorization_to $4B…

PR:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1099219/000119312523153472/d459413dex991.htm

CC slides:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1099219/000119312523153472/d459413dex992.htm

[DewDiligence]

Once again, MET had weak results in private equity. I warned about the unsustainable nature of this source of income some time ago in #msg-167739042.

[DewDiligence]

MET reports 1Q23 results—$3B buyback authorization—(incremental_to_existing_ $200M_unused_authorization):

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-first-quarter-2023-201500306.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-3-billion-share-201500413.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/1-metlife-profit-drops-lower-202436529.html


CFO’s 5-minute video:
https://www.metlife.com/about-us/newsroom/#video

[DewDiligence]

MET increases annualized dividend to $2.08 (from $2.00):

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-increases-common-stock-dividend-201500854.html

At the current share price ($59.21), the new annualized payout represents a yield of 3.5%.

[DewDiligence]

MET 4Q22 CC transcript:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-inc-nyse-met-q4-210716721.html

[DewDiligence]

MET 5-min video by CFO on 4Q22 results:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-cfo-john-mccallion-provides-211500827.html

[DewDiligence]

MET 4Q22 results_hit_by_lower private-equity income:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-full-fourth-quarter-211500555.html

I commented on the lack of sustainability of private-equity income such income in a post one year ago (#msg-167739042).

[DewDiligence]

Fortunately, MET is no longer in the business of selling retail life insurance in the US:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/stock-selloff-hits-life-insurers-fastest-growing-product-11671815626

[pepeoil]

Buy this bish and retire. Collect from this little sweet thang

[DewDiligence]

MET CFO's 5-minute video on 3Q22 results:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-cfo-john-mccallion-provides-201500184.html

Note: MET is +20% YTD; it is a beneficiary of higher interest rates.

[DewDiligence]

MET reports 3Q22 results:

https://www.metlife.com/content/dam/metlifecom/us/homepage/about-us/newsroom/earnings-releases/Q3_2022_Earnings_News_Release.pdf

• Net income of $331 million, or $0.41 per share, compared to net income of $1.5 billion, or $1.77 per share, in the third quarter of 2021.

• Adjusted earnings of $966 million, or $1.21 per share, compared to adjusted earnings of $2.1 billion, or $2.39 per share, in the third quarter of 2021.

• Book value of $27.00 per share, down 65 percent from $77.24 per share at September 30, 2021.

• Book value, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) other than foreign currency translation adjustments (FCTA), of $54.37 per share, down 5 percent from $57.29 per share at September 30, 2021.

• Return on equity (ROE) of 4.9 percent.

• Adjusted ROE, excluding AOCI other than FCTA, of 8.9 percent.

• Holding company cash and liquid assets of $5.2 billion at September 30, 2022, which is above the target cash buffer of $3.0 - $4.0 billion.

[DewDiligence]

MET 2Q22 results…

Investment income from private equity was way down from the (unsustainable) level in 2Q21; this was offset to some degree by lower life-insurance claims due to COVID.

PR:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-second-quarter-2022-201500041.html

5-minute video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-cfo-john-mccallion-provides-201500266.html

[DewDiligence]

MET analysis—1Q22 non-GAAP EPS was -15% YoY due to weaker (but still objectively strong) results in private-equity investments. In #msg-167739042, I asked rhetorically how long MET could continue to post superlative results from private equity. Now, we’re seeing a regression to the mean (or perhaps worse).

MET’s insurance business benefits from higher interest rates insofar as MET is effectively short fixed income (i.e. it has net liabilities for eventual insurance claims). However, in recent quarters, the gains on MET’s private-equity investments have outweighed the interest-rate effect mentioned above.

All told, I’m not especially bullish on MET; however, I manage a portfolio that has a MET position with a cost basis of zero, stemming from MET’s de-mutualization in 2001.

[DewDiligence]

MET—New $3B buyback authorization accompanies 1Q22 results…

Buyback PR:
https://investor.metlife.com/news-and-events/financial-press-releases/news-details/2022/MetLife-Announces-New-3-Billion-Share-Repurchase-Authorization/default.aspx

1Q22 PR:
https://investor.metlife.com/news-and-events/financial-press-releases/news-details/2022/MetLife-Announces-First-Quarter-2022-Results/default.aspx

CFO’s 5-minute video on 1Q22 results:
https://www.metlife.com/about-us/newsroom/#video

Note: The new $3B buyback authorization is in addition to $475M remaining on the previous buyback authorization—i.e. the total authorization is for ~$3.5B.

[DewDiligence]

MET increases annualized dividend to $2.00 (from $1.92):

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-increases-common-stock-dividend-201500238.html

At the current share price ($66.72), the new annualized payout represents a yield of 3.0%.

[DewDiligence]

MET CFO’s 5-min video on 4Q21 results:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-cfo-john-mccallion-provides-211500964.html

Take all those superlatives with a grain of salt.

[DewDiligence]

MET 4Q21—Poor underwriting again bailed out by private-equity investment gains:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/insurer-metlifes-quarterly-profit-beats-212327232.html

How long can MET continue to log outsized results in private equity? [Rhetorical]

[DewDiligence]

MET 3Q21 results…

PR:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-third-quarter-2021-201500644.html

Bloomberg:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-beats-estimates-strong-private-205930019.html

CFO’s 5-minute video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-cfo-john-mccallion-provides-201500359.html

[DewDiligence]

MET 2Q21 CC transcript:

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/37c1a2ad-eee1-3b39-9666-37cfd46923c9/metlife-inc-(met)-q2-2021.html

[DewDiligence]

MET 2Q21 results—new $3B buybcak authorization:

https://investor.metlife.com/news-and-events/financial-press-releases/news-details/2021/MetLife-Announces-Second-Quarter-2021-Results/default.aspx

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-3-billion-share-201500416.html

5-min video on 2Q21 results:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-cfo-john-mccallion-provides-201500006.html

[DewDiligence]

MET 1Q21 results:

https://investor.metlife.com/files/Q12021/MET_1Q21_Earnings_Release-FINAL.pdf

[DewDiligence]

MET increases annualized dividend to $1.92 (from $1.84):

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-increases-common-stock-dividend-201500216.html

At the current share price ($63.36), the new annualized payout represents a yield of 3.0%.

[DewDiligence]

MET 4Q20_results_produce_modest_“relief”_rally:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-full-fourth-quarter-211500280.html (PR)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-cfo-john-mccallion-provides-211500418.html (5-min CEO video)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-profit-rises-marginally-investment-211931389.html (Reuters)

The stock is +3% in AH trading.

[DewDiligence]

MET sells P&C business to Zurich Insurance for $3.94B—inline with prior reports—proceeds to be used for share buybacks (under new $3B authorization):

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-sell-auto-home-business-054600801.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-3-billion-share-054800208.html

[DewDiligence]

MET partners with SDC:

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/23/2131807/0/en/SmileDirectClub-Partners-With-MetLife.html

[DewDiligence]

MET near deal to divest property/casualty business for $4B:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-zurich-insurance-nears-4-165136694.html

P&C is a relatively small portion of MET’s business portfolio.

[Femto99]

Interesting. Thx

[DewDiligence]

MET 3Q20 results:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-third-quarter-2020-211500883.html

The stock is flat in AH trading.

[DewDiligence]

MET acquires vision-care insurer—Versant Health—for $1.68B in cash…

PR:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-acquire-versant-health-owner-110000235.html

Slides:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1099219/000109921920000319/irpresentationverandav18.htm

Versant has 35M members to be folded into MET’s Group benefits segment.

[DewDiligence]

MET—(-6%/AH)—reports 2Q20 results—the main negative in the quarter was not COVID-19 claims, but rather losses on private equity and derivative securities:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-announces-second-quarter-2020-201500963.html

https://s23.q4cdn.com/579645270/files/doc_financials/2020/q2/MET_2Q20_Supplemental_Slides-FINAL.pdf

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-quarterly-profit-nosedives-lower-201514460.html

MetLife said it had higher COVID-related claims during the quarter, but did not provide specifics. The disease's effects in the third quarter would be largely offset by underwriting margins, the company said.

MetLife reported $710 million in net derivative losses, compared with $724 million in derivative gains a year ago.

That’s a $1.43B negative swing, YoY, but I can’t really complain insofar as MET gained $4.2B on derivatives during 1Q20 (#msg-155475813).

[DewDiligence]

MET 1Q20 CC transcript:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/edited-transcript-met-earnings-conference-231028080.html

[Femto99]

Smart move by the company. I had a very small short position to play after seeing someone called on shorting MET. I closed after seeing MET increased their dividend. Some learning experiences for me. Thank you for your postings.

MET is a good company.

[DewDiligence]

MET logged a $4.2B gain in 1Q20 from derivatives to hedge interest rates. Wow.

[DewDiligence]

MET 1Q20 results:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1099219/000109921920000200/ex991earningsreleaseta.htm

Astonishingly, MET says that COVID-19 will have only a “modest” impact on 2020 financial results—see slide #10 at: https://s23.q4cdn.com/579645270/files/doc_financials/2020/Q1/MET_1Q-20-Supplemental-Slides-FINAL.pdf .

[DewDiligence]

MET boosts dividend—forward yield=5.2%:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-increases-common-stock-dividend-201500280.html

MetLife, Inc…today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a second quarter 2020 common stock dividend of $0.46 per share, an increase of 4.5 percent from the first quarter common stock dividend of $0.44 per share. The dividend will be payable on June 12, 2020, to shareholders of record as of May 8, 2020.

The new annualized payout is $1.84, which is 5.2% of the current share price ($35.18).

[Femto99]

Thanks a lot for your insights!

[DewDiligence]

MET has been unusually volatile lately because investors are finding it hard to get a handle on the effect of the pandemic on MET’s various business segments. The volatility will likely continue until MET announces 1Q19 results and updated 2020 guidance on 5/6/20 (after the market close).

For related info, please see:
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=154938718 and
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=154310158

[Femto99]

MET is coming down pretty hard today. What is the cause? I have been reading the 10k but it is such a big company.

[DewDiligence]

Despite the discombobulated corporate-bond market, MET managed to issue $1B of 10-year bonds paying interest @4.55% in a deal that closed today:

https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1099219/000119312520082648/d898812d8k.htm

This is encouraging and might signal a bottom for the stock, which has dropped an astonishing 55% since 2/12/20.

Please see #msg-154310158 for related info.

[DewDiligence]

Please see #msg-154310158. I don't know anything about the deal you mentioned. Regards, Dew

[PENNIEStoSTACKS]

DD why did the MET chart drop the way it has and do you know anything about the deal they have with SOLI https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/replies.aspx?msg=154373738

[DewDiligence]

That's not the reason. Life insurance is now a pretty small portion of MET's overall business. See #msg-154239470.

[creyno58]

Because they have to pay when people die!

[Femto99]

Thank you!

[DewDiligence]

For MET, lower interest rates lead to lower earnings.

[Femto99]

Why is it going down so fast?

[DewDiligence]

MET 4Q19 CC transcript:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/edited-transcript-met-earnings-conference-123752237.html

[DewDiligence]

MET 4Q19 results:

https://investor.metlife.com/news-and-events/financial-press-releases/news-details/2020/MetLife-Announces-Full-Year-and-Fourth-Quarter-2019-Results/default.aspx