Latest Articles
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Good Times Ahead For Retirement Solutions Providers
Improving life expectancy and a rising retirement age limit are set to push the annuities market in the U.S., benefiting insurance companies such as MetLife (NYSE:MET), Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC), Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) a...
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MetLife Updates: Cutting Back On Variable Annuities While Looking For Growth Abroad
MetLife (NYSE:MET) is planning a $600 million cut in expenses by 2016, with U.S. retail sales to individuals the primary target for savings. The insurance company is reducing capital-intensive products such as variable annuities while adding acci...
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MetLife Set for International Growth And $35 Stock Price
MetLife (NYSE:MET) has performed strongly over the last year, driven by growth in retirement product sales and international expansion. We believe that the company is well-positioned to capitalize on increasing opportunities in the international ...
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MetLife’s Strong Performance Offset By Derivative Losses
MetLife (NYSE:MET) recently announced its quarterly earnings for the first quarter of 2012, reporting a net loss of $174 million, or $0.16 per share. The loss was attributed to derivative losses from rising interest rates and a lower credit sprea...
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MetLife Fumes as it Fails Fed Stress Test
MetLife (NYSE:MET) was one of four companies that failed the Federal Reserve’s Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) test, which was applied to many of the largest U.S. financial firms. Citigroup (NYSE:C), Ally Financial and SunT...
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Variable Annuity Sales Decline As Insurers Become More Risk Averse
Variable annuity sales in the U.S. fell marginally to $38.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, after seeing an increase for six consecutive quarters, according to trade group Limra. Total sales of variable annuities were up 13% in 2011 compar...
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MetLife Shows International Flare in Results Lifting Stock and Outlook
MetLife (NYSE:MET) recently reported net income of $6.7 billion for the year ended December 31, 2011, which is substantially larger than the $2.7 billion reported in the previous year. MetLife benefited from strong growth in the international mar...
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MetLife Exits Forward Mortgage Business, Fully Valued at $36
MetLife Inc ., (NYSE:MET) the largest life insurance company in the U.S., announced its exit from the originating forward residential mortgages business. With this, the company will no longer accept new loan applications for forward mortgages but...
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MetLife Sells Retail Depository to GE to Avoid Dodd-Frank Scrutiny
In order to avoid the heavy scrutiny by the Federal Reserve after the Dodd-Frank Act, MetLife (NYSE:MET) decided to sell its retail deposit operations to GE Capital Financial Inc, part of GE (NYSE:GE) The two company recently announced an agreeme...
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MetLife Bullish on Middle East Growth
Just a year after the acquisition of Alico, MetLife (NYSE:MET) has been setting up its platform to better engage in markets where the company sees growth opportunities. The company has streamlined its operations to leverage the best of both compa...
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MetLife, Other Insurers See Growth in Annuities Amid Market Volatility
Annuity sales in the U.S. have been growing at a rapid pace given the growing needs among retirees and individuals looking for investment options amid the recent market volatility. A recently released survey by SNL reveals that the funds flowing ...
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MetLife’s 2012 Results Lifted by Int’l Operations
MetLife (NYSE:MET) recently issued guidance for 2012 and the fourth quarter of 2011. The company expects fourth quarter operating earnings to be between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion, an increase of 7% from $1.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2...
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MetLife Retains Top Spot in Variable Annuity Sales
MetLife (NYSE:MET) retained its position as the largest seller of variable annuities in the third quarter as it sold $8.56 billion worth of retirement products in Q3 2011 compared to $4.66 billion it sold in the same quarter previous year. Pruden...
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Manulife Coverage Launch: Growth in Asia Drives $13.50 Price Estimate
We recently launched coverage of Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC) with a price estimate of about $13.50, which is 20% ahead of the current market price. Manulife is a leading Canadian-based financial services group operating in 22 countries and terr...
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Hartford Getting Serious About Growth Prospects in Retirement Annuities
Hartford Financial (NYSE:HIG) has learned its lesson after a disappointing performance in the third quarter when a weak economic recovery, large catastrophic events and volatile capital markets weighed on earnings. As a result, the company has en...
