MetLife, Inc. (MET) Balances Analyst Downgrade with Global Growth and Strategic Opportunities

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) is one of the best cheap stocks to buy for 2026. On January 6, Evercore ISI lowered its rating on MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) to “In Line” from Outperform, while cutting the price target to $97 from $108. The firm also removed MetLife from its Core Ideas List, replacing it with Aflac.

Evercore explained that this change was driven in part by the possibility of downside to consensus forward earnings. In other words, the analysts see MetLife’s earnings expectations weakening relative to what the market previously anticipated. The firm also pointed to valuation concerns, saying MetLife’s stock appeared relatively expensive compared with mid-cap peers, even though it was still cheaper than some larger competitors. Accordingly, Evercore reduced its own 2026 earnings estimate for MetLife by about 3.5%, and noted that its initial 2027 earnings estimate was roughly 4-5% below consensus expectations.

The analysts also raised concerns specifically about low new money spreads on public corporate bonds combined with MetLife’s somewhat higher risk commercial mortgage loan portfolio compared with peers. They called this combination a “double-edged sword” for the stock.

But despite the risks, Evercore acknowledged that MetLife has shown impressive growth in Asia recently, though this strength was weighed against other headwinds. The analysts also noted that risk transfer deals could serve as a potential catalyst for the stock.

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) provides insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management services across the United States and international markets. Its operations include life, dental, disability, property, and casualty insurance, as well as retirement and savings products offered to individuals and institutions.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.