Yahoo Finance The total return for MetLife (NYSE:MET) investors has risen faster than earnings growth over the last three years
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 11% in the last quarter. But at least the stock is up over the last three years. However, it's unlikely many shareholders are elated with the share price gain of 24% over that time, given the rising market.
While this past week has detracted from the company's three-year return, let's look at the recent trends of the underlying business and see if the gains have been in alignment.
View our latest analysis for MetLife
To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.
During three years of share price growth, MetLife achieved compound earnings per share growth of 17% per year. The average annual share price increase of 8% is actually lower than the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat. This cautious sentiment is reflected in its (fairly low) P/E ratio of 7.42.
The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
We know that MetLife has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? Check if analysts think MetLife will grow revenue in the future.
What About Dividends?
It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of MetLife, it has a TSR of 39% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.
A Different Perspective
It's good to see that MetLife has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 7.6% in the last twelve months. That's including the dividend. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 9% a year, is even better. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks, for example - MetLife has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.
Of course MetLife may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
