MetLife’s fourth quarter was marked by revenue growth below Wall Street expectations, yet the company delivered higher-than-expected non-GAAP earnings per share. Management attributed the results to robust performances in its group benefits segment, record pension risk transfer activity, and substantial growth in Asia and Latin America. CEO Michel Khalaf highlighted, “Our best-in-class group benefits business added approximately $100 million of new adjusted premiums, fees, and other revenues in 2025, with higher margin voluntary PFOs rising 10% year over year.” The acquisition of PineBridge Investments also expanded MetLife’s asset management footprint, supporting earnings growth despite variable investment income coming in below target.
Insurance companies serve as the backbone of risk management, providing essential protection and financial security for individuals and businesses. But concerns about claims severity and tightening regulations have tempered enthusiasm,
limiting the industry’s gains to 3.4% over the past six months.
This return lagged the S&P 500’s 9.1% climb.
Although MetLife has lagged behind the broader market over the past year, Wall Street analysts remain moderately optimistic about the stock’s prospects.
Global insurance giant MetLife (NYSE:MET) missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q4 CY2025, but sales rose 20.7% year on year to $23.81 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $2.49 per share was 6.3% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
The U.S. bond market sent a shudder through equity desks on Friday as the 10-year Treasury yield surged past the critical 4.27% threshold, hitting its highest level in 18 months. This sharp ascent, driven by a combination of hawkish shifts in Federal Reserve leadership and robust economic growth
The stocks in this article are all trading near their 52-week highs.
This strength often reflects positive developments such as new product launches, favorable industry trends, or improved financial performance.
MetLife has been treading water for the past six months, recording a small return of 0.6% while holding steady at $76.77. The stock also fell short of the S&P 500’s 10% gain during that period.
Wall Street has issued downbeat forecasts for the stocks in this article.
These predictions are rare - financial institutions typically hesitate to say bad things about a company because it can jeopardize their other revenue-generating business lines like M&A advisory.
As the Q3 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the life insurance industry, including Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF) and its peers.
Published on December 26, 2025 Introduction Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) stands at a critical juncture as 2025 draws to a close. Long synonymous with stability—represented by its iconic Rock of Gibraltar logo—the Newark-based financial giant has spent the last year navigating a significant leadership transition and an aggressive pivot toward a more capital-efficient business [...]
As the calendar turns to 2026, the financial sector stands at a pivotal crossroads. Investors are bracing for the Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings season, which is set to reveal how the nation’s largest financial institutions navigated a year defined by stabilizing interest rates, a surge in equity markets,
The U.S. financial markets received a long-awaited gift on December 18, 2025, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released Consumer Price Index (CPI) data that came in significantly cooler than anticipated. Headline inflation for the period ending in November rose just 2.7% year-over-year, sharply lower than the
The financial world is abuzz with a stark warning: the possibility of a "Lost Decade" for US stocks. This grim forecast, prominently articulated by major institutions like Goldman Sachs in late 2024 and extending into December 2025, suggests that the robust, often double-digit returns enjoyed by investors in the preceding
As December 2025 draws to a close, the global economy continues its intricate dance with inflation. While the fervent price surges of earlier years have largely moderated, persistent inflationary pressures, particularly in the United States, are reshaping market dynamics and consumer behavior. Central banks, notably the Federal Reserve, find themselves
In a move that reverberated across global financial markets, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, on December 10, 2025, confirmed a significant dovish shift in the central bank's monetary policy. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) enacted a 25-basis-point reduction in the benchmark interest rate, bringing the target range down to
Value stocks typically trade at discounts to the broader market, offering patient investors the opportunity to buy businesses when they’re out of favor.
The key risk, however, is that these stocks are usually cheap for a reason – five cents for a piece of fruit may seem like a great deal until you find out it’s rotten.
