MetLife Quarterly Earnings Sneak Peek

S&P 500 (NYSE:SPY) component MetLife (NYSE:MET) will unveil its latest earnings tomorrow, Wednesday, August 1, 2012. MetLife provides individual insurance, employee benefits, and financial services.

MetLife Earnings Preview Cheat Sheet

Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average analyst estimate is for profit of $1.25 per share, a rise of 0.8% from the company’s actual earnings for the year-ago quarter. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved down from $1.26. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved up. It has dropped from $1.27 during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 3.2% compared to last year’s $5.18.

Past Earnings Performance: Last quarter, the company beat estimates by 6 cents, coming in at net income of $1.37 a share versus the estimate of profit of $1.31 a share. It marked the fourth straight quarter of beating estimates.

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A Look Back: In the first quarter, profit rose 48.4% to $1.49 billion ($1.37 a share) from $1.01 billion (78 cents a share) the year earlier, exceeding analyst expectations. Revenue rose 4.9% to $16.69 billion from $15.91 billion.

Stock Price Performance: Between May 1, 2012 and July 30, 2012, the stock price fell $5.38 (-14.93%), from $36.03 to $30.44. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between January 31, 2012 and February 7, 2012, when shares rose for six straight days, increasing 6.7% (+$2.37) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between November 11, 2011 and November 23, 2011 when shares fell for nine straight days, dropping 15.8% (-$5.21) over that span.

Analyst Ratings: With 16 analysts rating the stock a buy, none rating it a sell and three rating the stock a hold, there are indications of a bullish stance by analysts.

Key Stats:

This upcoming earnings announcement will be a chance to build on positive earnings momentum over the last three quarters. Net income rose 1033.5% in the third quarter of the last fiscal year and 1309.8% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year before increasing again in the first quarter.

On the top line, the company is looking to build on four-straight revenue increases heading into this earnings announcement. Revenue rose 20.4% in the second quarter of the last fiscal year, 64.4% in the third quarter of the last fiscal year and 30.4% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year before increasing again in the first quarter.

Wall St. Revenue Expectations: Analysts are projecting a rise of 0.6% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $16.98 billion.

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(Company fundamentals by Xignite Financials. Earnings estimates provided by Zacks)

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