An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.
In plain words · MetLife, Inc., a financial services company, provides insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management services worldwide.
VERDICT
The label
Markup
read at $96.26
MetLife holds its Markup at $96.26.
PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Markup label
INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
SCScreen · does not pass the values gate
edge confirmed
edge broken
edge forming
Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.
INVESTOR
The investor read · the season, not the day
As held on the ledger · 2026-08-05
Phase
Markup
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the buyers, held for 34 days
Price
$96.26
Valuation
18.58 trailing · 8.76 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 10.0
Beta
0.76
OPPORTUNITY
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Our framework reads AVOID — it trades at roughly a 10% discount to our $106.00 fair value, weak competitive moat, 2.70% revenue growth.
Read at
$96.26
18.58 P/E · 8.76 fwd
Our fair value
$106.00
10% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$102.50
+6% to current
Target low $75.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $106.00
▲ current $96.26 · | average target
Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going
The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street
Current
$96.26
you are here
Conservative
$106.00
+10%
Analyst avg
$102.50
+6%
Our fair value
$106.00
+10%
Analyst high
$106.00
+10%
Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.
Revenue growth
2.70%
Profit margin
4.67%
Debt to equity
178.02
Analyst consensus
Buy · 16 covering
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
SCREEN
The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English
This company is excluded by both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. It fails on both:
The common standard· AAOIFI Used by most halal investing apps✗ DOES NOT PASS
Our stricter standard· asset-based The one Titan applies✗ DOES NOT PASS
Why it fails. The problem is its business activity screen. Because both standards agree on this, it is a clear exclusion, not a borderline case.
Business activityBusiness activity: Financials sectorFail
Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.
PLAIN
The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean
Insurance Premiums Meet an Ethical Wall
Every month families hand over premiums hoping for security when illness or loss hits. MetLife sits at the centre of that promise across the US, Asia and Latin America, yet it fails our ethical screen on business activity grounds. That single failure overrides the surface appeal of an 8.5 times forward earnings multiple and a modest 12 percent gap to our fair value estimate.
Revenue is creeping forward at just 3 percent, margins sit at 5 percent and return on equity reaches only 13 percent. The moat is rated weak. Sixteen analysts still lean buy with a 102 dollar median target, but we pass because the ethical breach is clear and the growth profile offers little compensation for it.
Valuation multiples can compress further if claims or investment returns disappoint, and the ethical flag removes any margin for error. The low multiple reflects limited growth rather than a bargain. Analysis, not advice.
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
TRADE
Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are
MET trades on a US exchange. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
TRADER
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
The framework has shifted from accumulation to markup since the last review. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 12.7% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 17%. The street (16 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $92. Entered 2026-08-05 · Markup
JOURNAL
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
2026-08-05Markup · changed$95.19+12.7%Entry 4
The framework has shifted from accumulation to markup since the last review. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 12.7% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 17%. The street (16 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $92.
2026-07-18Accumulation$84.49+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 17%. The street (16 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $92.
2026-07-03Accumulation$84.49+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Accumulation$84.49Entry 1
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
