MetLife Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Rising Revenue, Falling EPS Over Previous Quarter

MetLife MET announces its next round of earnings this Thursday, July 28, 2011. Get the latest predictions in Benzinga's essential guide to the company's second quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are predicting an EPS reading of $1.11 per share and revenues of $16.12 billion. Whether the reported numbers beat or miss analysts' estimates, they will also be compared against last year's numbers for the same period, which were a profit of $1.23 per share on revenues of $12.83 billion. We'll have to wait for Thursday to see if MetLife reports a decline in EPS and a boost in revenue from the year-ago quarter, as analysts are predicting.

Here's how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Quarter	Q1	Q4	Q3	Q2
EPS Estimate	$1.26	$1.10	$1.03	$1.00
EPS Actual	$1.33	$1.14	$0.99	$1.23

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of MetLife were trading at $41.74. Since January 1st, shares of MetLife have declined 6.1%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 8.4%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders are probably satisfied going into this earnings release.

• Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for MetLife is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has stayed consistent over the past three months.

Competitors:

Wondering how MetLife compares to rivals in the same sector? Here are a few of the company's peers.

• Lincoln National LNC: Moderate Buy with a $1.08 recent quarter EPS
• Kansas City Life Insurance Company KCLI: $0.42 recent quarter EPS

The insurance-multiline company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 0.8% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: MetLife provides individual insurance, employee benefits and financial services throughout the United States and the regions of Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Take Action:

There is your peek into MetLife's upcoming earnings numbers, including some competitors to watch around the time of the announcement. Check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap of the announcement. In the meantime, here are some links to explore today.

• To see up-to-date news on MetLife, click here
• To see other trading ideas, click here
• To see other company earnings recaps, click here