Goldman Neutral On MetLife

Goldman Sachs recently spent a week with MetLife Inc. MET management, and is more constructive on the name, but still has a Neutral rating on shares. It did raise its price target to $48 from $42. In a note sent to investors, Goldman writes, "This week we hosted a dinner with MetLife's CFO Bill Wheeler (12/9), had MET's CEO Rob Henrikson speak at our Financial Services Conference (12/8), and attended their annual Investor Day (12/6). These meetings helped alleviate many of the overhangs we previously cited. As a result of movements in interest rates and equity markets as well as our expectation that management will repurchase stock in 2011 we increase our 2010 to 2012 EPS estimates and raise our 12-month price target to $48 from $42." Shares of MET lost 11 cents on Friday to close at $43.97.