Insurance provider MetLife, Inc.MET is set to report third-quarter 2026 results on Nov. 4, 2026, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter's earnings is currently pegged at $2.71 per share on revenues of $20.1 billion.
The third-quarter earnings estimate has witnessed seven upward revisions and one downward movement over the past 60 days. The bottom-line projection indicates a year-over-year increase of 15.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues suggests year-over-year growth of 12.4%.
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For full-year 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MetLife's revenues is pegged at $79.5 billion, implying 0.8% year-over-year growth. The consensus mark for 2026 EPS is pinned at $9.94, implying 12.6% year-over-year growth.
MetLife beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with the average surprise being 5.7%. This is depicted in the figure below.
MetLife, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
MetLife, Inc. price-eps-surprise | MetLife, Inc. Quote
Q3 Earnings Whispers for MetLife
Our proven model predicts a likely earnings beat for the company this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That is precisely the case here.
MET has an Earnings ESP of +0.59% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
What's Shaping MetLife's Q3 Results?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter premiums indicates a 14.7% year-over-year increase. The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects a 4.7% increase in Group Benefits adjusted revenues, while Retirement & Income Solutions adjusted revenues are expected to surge 36.2% in the third quarter.
The consensus estimate indicates an 8.6% year-over-year increase in adjusted earnings from the Retirement & Income Solutions segment and 11.3% growth in adjusted earnings from the Group Benefits unit. The consensus estimate for MetLife Investment Management's adjusted earnings is pegged at $61.8 million. Adjusted earnings from EMEA are projected to increase 11.3% year over year, while the Latin America business is expected to register a sharper 67.8% rise.
These are likely to have positioned the company for year-over-year growth and an earnings beat. The positives are likely to be partially offset by a 3.3% decline in net investment income. Also, adjusted earnings from the Asia region are expected to decline 5.2% year over year.
How Did Other Insurers Fare?
Several insurance companies, including The Travelers Companies, Inc.TRV, The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc.HIG and RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.RNR, have already reported their financial results for the September quarter of 2026. Here's how they have performed:
The Travelers Companies reported third-quarter 2026 core earnings of $9.18 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.07 by 29.8%. The bottom line increased 12.8% year over year. Revenues of $12.45 billion surpassed the consensus estimate of $12.40 billion by 0.4% and remained nearly flat year over year. TRV's earnings strength was driven by favorable prior-year reserve development and increased net investment income, partially offset by higher catastrophe losses.
Hartford Insurance delivered third-quarter 2026 core earnings per share of $3.50, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11.1%. However, the bottom line declined 2.5% year over year. The results benefited from HIG's higher investment income and premium growth in Business Insurance. However, higher catastrophe losses and weaker Employee Benefits profitability partly offset the upside.
RenaissanceRe reported third-quarter 2026 operating income of $12.71 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%. Yet, the bottom line fell from $15.62 a year ago. The quarterly earnings benefited from lower operational expenses and higher net investment income. However, the upside was partly offset by lower net premiums earned, weaker underwriting results in RNR's Casualty & Specialty segment and lower fee income.
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MetLife, Inc. (MET) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (RNR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
