Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Sell”

by · The Cerbat Gem

Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF – Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on Brighthouse Financial from $57.00 to $55.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Brighthouse Financial from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Brighthouse Financial from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $63.00 to $55.00 in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.33.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Brighthouse Financial

Brighthouse Financial Price Performance

BHF stock opened at $42.60 on Friday. Brighthouse Financial has a 52-week low of $41.01 and a 52-week high of $66.80. The company has a market capitalization of $2.45 billion, a PE ratio of 4.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.81. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $48.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $58.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $4.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.86 by ($0.41). Brighthouse Financial had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 17.24%. The business had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.18 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.43 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Brighthouse Financial will post 18.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Brighthouse Financial in the second quarter valued at about $341,422,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Brighthouse Financial by 1.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,555,823 shares of the company’s stock worth $212,926,000 after purchasing an additional 60,791 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in shares of Brighthouse Financial in the second quarter valued at $54,895,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 64.5% in the 1st quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 642,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,491,000 after acquiring an additional 251,993 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kryger Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brighthouse Financial during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,104,000. 81.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Brighthouse Financial Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Brighthouse Financial, Inc (NASDAQ:BHF) is a U.S.-focused provider of annuities and life insurance products. The company serves individuals and institutions seeking solutions for retirement income, wealth preservation, protection and legacy planning.

Its annuity offerings include fixed, variable, income and registered index-linked annuities, including the Brighthouse Shield line of products. Brighthouse also provides life insurance products designed to offer death-benefit protection and, depending on the policy, cash-value accumulation and other financial-planning features.

Brighthouse Financial was established as an independent public company in 2017 after being separated from MetLife.

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