Not a good “buy right now” for an impatient investor: there’s no proprietary buy signal, hedge funds are aggressively selling, and Wall Street price targets have been trending down.
Price is sitting just above near-term support (~75.41). That can produce a bounce, but the setup is more “watch/support-hold” than a high-conviction entry.
Options positioning is mixed (put-heavy open interest but call-heavy volume) and implied volatility is elevated, suggesting uncertainty rather than clean bullish conviction.
Trend/structure: Moving averages are converging → choppy/sideways market, no strong trend.
Momentum: MACD histogram is above 0 (bullish), but “positively contracting” → upside momentum is fading.
RSI(6)=43.7 → neutral-to-slightly weak; not oversold enough to scream “must-buy.”
Key levels: Price 76.58 is below pivot 78.00 (near-term bearish tilt). Support S1=75.41 then S2=73.81; resistance R1=80.60.
Practical read: MET is in a post-earnings digestion zone—technically it becomes more attractive only if it holds above ~75.4 and reclaims ~78.
Options Data
Bearish
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Bullish
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
Sentiment: Open interest put/call at 1.09 leans defensive (more puts outstanding), while volume put/call at 0.5 shows more call buying today (near-term rebound speculation).
Activity: Today’s options volume is elevated (~122.6% of 30D avg), so the market is actively repricing the post-earnings outlook.
Volatility: 30D IV 30.78 vs historical vol 25.11 → options are pricing above-realized movement; IV percentile 85.66 indicates volatility is expensive and uncertainty is high.
Technical Summary
Sell
10
Buy
2
Positive Catalysts
Earnings backdrop: Q4 results/updates indicated stronger investment returns and an adjusted EPS beat (supportive for sentiment in the near term).
Macro tailwind possibility: If rates stabilize or ease and equities remain steady, life insurers can benefit via improved asset values/flows (noted in analyst commentary).
Technical bounce potential: Price is close to first support (75.41), which can attract dip buyers if it holds.
Neutral/Negative Catalysts
with fading MACD momentum → rallies may meet resistance quickly around 78–80.6.
Takeaway: Growth is coming through revenue, but earnings momentum is currently negative—this reduces urgency to buy immediately for a quick payoff.
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Recent trend: Price targets have generally been lowered (Barclays to $90 from $98; UBS to $94; BofA to $98; Wells to $92; KBW to $90) and Evercore downgraded to In Line (PT $97 from $108).
Pros (Wall St bullish case): Many firms still sit at Buy/Overweight/Outperform; view that capital strength/cash flow and potential risk-transfer deals can support returns.
Cons (Wall St bear case): Concerns around spread compression (low new-money yields), execution timing on risk-transfer deals, and higher commercial mortgage/CRE credit risk; valuation seen as less compelling by at least one key shop (Evercore).
Wall Street analysts forecast MET stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MET is 95.25 USD with a low forecast of 84 USD and a high forecast of 108 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
12 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast MET stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MET is 95.25 USD with a low forecast of 84 USD and a high forecast of 108 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
11 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 75.320
Low
84
Averages
95.25
High
108
Current: 75.320
Low
84
Averages
95.25
High
108
UBS
Buy
maintain
$94 -> $98
AI Analysis
2026-02-05
New
Reason
UBS
Price Target
$94 -> $98
AI Analysis
2026-02-05
New
maintain
Buy
Reason
UBS raised the firm's price target on MetLife to $98 from $94 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares.
Barclays
Overweight -> NULL
downgrade
$98 -> $90
2026-01-08
Reason
Barclays
Price Target
$98 -> $90
2026-01-08
downgrade
Overweight -> NULL
Reason
Barclays lowered the firm's price target on MetLife to $90 from $98 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm is "cautiously optimistic" on life insurers heading into 2026, saying capital strength, cash flow, and consolidation offset headwinds like spread compression and technology spend. Barclays adjusted ratings and price targets as part of its 2026 outlook.
Unlock Full Analyst Thesis, Get the complete breakdown of rating reason for MET