Insurance - Life
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MFC vs MET
Revenue, margins, valuation, and 5-year total return — side by side.
Insurance - Life
MFC vs MET — Key Financials
Market cap, revenue, margins, and valuation side-by-side.
| Company Snapshot | ||
|---|---|---|
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Insurance - Life |
| Market Cap | $67.02B | $52.27B |
| Revenue (TTM) | $83.02B | $76.13B |
| Net Income (TTM) | $5.78B | $3.38B |
| Gross Margin | 30.6% | 25.6% |
| Operating Margin | 8.5% | 6.1% |
| Forward P/E | 8.6x | 8.2x |
| Total Debt | $14.66B | $20.18B |
| Cash & Equiv. | $14.90B | $22.03B |
MFC vs MET — Long-Term Stock Performance
Price return indexed to 100 at period start. Dividends excluded.
| Stock | May 20 | May 26 | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manulife Financial … (MFC) | 100 | 322.1 | +222.1% |
| MetLife, Inc. (MET) | 100 | 222.6 | +122.6% |
Price return only. Dividends and distributions are not included.
Quick Verdict: MFC vs MET
Each card shows where this stock fits in a portfolio — not just who wins on paper.
MFC carries the broadest edge in this set and is the clearest fit for income & stability and growth exposure.
- Dividend streak 6 yrs, beta 0.99, yield 4.9%
- Rev growth 9.4%, EPS growth 8.1%, 3Y rev CAGR 36.2%
- 244.9% 10Y total return vs MET's 156.8%
In this particular matchup, MET is outpaced on most metrics by others in the set.
See the full category breakdown
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | 9.4% revenue growth vs MET's 10.2% | |
| Value | Better valuation composite | |
| Quality / Margins | 7.0% margin vs MET's 4.4% | |
| Stability / Safety | Beta 0.99 vs MET's 1.09, lower leverage | |
| Dividends | 4.9% yield, 6-year raise streak, vs MET's 2.8% | |
| Momentum (1Y) | +31.9% vs MET's +7.9% | |
| Efficiency (ROA) | 0.6% ROA vs MET's 0.5%, ROIC 11.5% vs 13.1% |
MFC vs MET — Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
MFC vs MET — Financial Metrics
Side-by-side numbers across 2 stocks — who leads on profitability, valuation, growth, and risk.
Income & Cash Flow (Last 12 Months)
MFC leads this category, winning 6 of 6 comparable metrics.
Income & Cash Flow (Last 12 Months)
MFC and MET operate at a comparable scale, with $83.0B and $76.1B in trailing revenue. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 7.0% (MFC) to 4.4% (MET). On growth, MFC holds the edge at +2.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $83.0B | $76.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $6.0B | $5.7B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $5.8B | $3.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $32.1B | $18.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +30.6% | +25.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +8.5% | +6.1% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +7.0% | +4.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +38.7% | +23.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.7% | +29.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.7% | -34.3% |
Valuation Metrics
MET leads this category, winning 4 of 6 comparable metrics.
Valuation Metrics
At 16.7x trailing earnings, MET trades at a 6% valuation discount to MFC's 17.7x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, MET's 8.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MFC's 11.4x.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $67.0B | $52.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $66.8B | $50.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 17.69x | 16.70x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 8.58x | 8.19x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 9.15x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 11.40x | 8.81x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.49x | 0.68x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.31x | 1.84x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.84x | 2.89x |
Profitability & Efficiency
MET leads this category, winning 5 of 9 comparable metrics.
Profitability & Efficiency
MET delivers a 11.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $12 in annual profit, vs $11 for MFC. MFC carries lower financial leverage with a 0.28x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MET's 0.70x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MET scores 8/9 vs MFC's 7/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +11.2% | +11.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +0.6% | +0.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +11.5% | +13.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +0.7% | +1.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.28x | 0.70x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$237M | -$1.8B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $14.9B | $22.0B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $14.7B | $20.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 5.64x | 5.39x |
Total Returns (Dividends Reinvested)
MFC leads this category, winning 6 of 6 comparable metrics.
Total Returns (Dividends Reinvested)
A $10,000 investment in MFC five years ago would be worth $21,097 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $13,534 for MET. Over the past 12 months, MFC leads with a +31.9% total return vs MET's +7.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MFC at 29.7% vs MET's 17.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.3% | +0.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +31.9% | +7.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +118.0% | +61.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +111.0% | +35.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +244.9% | +156.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +29.7% | +17.3% |
Risk & Volatility
MFC leads this category, winning 2 of 2 comparable metrics.
Risk & Volatility
MFC is the less volatile stock with a 0.99 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MET's 1.09 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. MFC currently trades 99.7% from its 52-week high vs MET's 95.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.99x | 1.09x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $40.08 | $83.64 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $29.70 | $67.33 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.7% | +95.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 65.9 | 66.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.9M | 3.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Evenly matched — MFC and MET each lead in 1 of 2 comparable metrics.
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MFC as "Buy" and MET as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 27.6% upside for MFC (target: $51) vs 20.4% for MET (target: $97). For income investors, MFC offers the higher dividend yield at 4.89% vs MET's 2.83%.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $51.00 | $96.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 14 | 33 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +4.9% | +2.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 6 | 13 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $2.66 | $2.27 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +2.7% | +7.4% |
MFC leads in 3 of 6 categories (Income & Cash Flow, Total Returns). MET leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
MFC vs MET: Frequently Asked Questions
10 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MFC or MET a better buy right now?
For growth investors, Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) is the stronger pick with 937.
7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 10. 2% for MetLife, Inc. (MET). MetLife, Inc. (MET) offers the better valuation at 16. 7x trailing P/E (8. 2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) a "Buy" — based on 14 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — MFC or MET?
On trailing P/E, MetLife, Inc.
(MET) is the cheapest at 16. 7x versus Manulife Financial Corporation at 17. 7x. On forward P/E, MetLife, Inc. is actually cheaper at 8. 2x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — MFC or MET?
Over the past 5 years, Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) delivered a total return of +111.
0%, compared to +35. 3% for MetLife, Inc. (MET). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MFC returned +244. 9% versus MET's +156. 8%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — MFC or MET?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.
99β versus MetLife, Inc. 's 1. 09β — meaning MET is approximately 10% more volatile than MFC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 28% versus 70% for MetLife, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which is growing faster — MFC or MET?
By revenue growth (latest reported year), Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) is pulling ahead at 937.
7% versus 10. 2% for MetLife, Inc. (MET). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Manulife Financial Corporation grew EPS 8. 1% year-over-year, compared to -19. 2% for MetLife, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, MFC leads at 36. 2% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.
06Which has better profit margins — MFC or MET?
Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) is the more profitable company, earning 9.
5% net margin versus 4. 4% for MetLife, Inc. — meaning it keeps 9. 5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MFC leads at 11. 6% versus 6. 0% for MET. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MFC leads at 100. 0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
07Is MFC or MET more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, MetLife, Inc.
(MET) trades at 8. 2x forward P/E versus 8. 6x for Manulife Financial Corporation — 0. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for MFC: 27. 6% to $51. 00.
08Which pays a better dividend — MFC or MET?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.
Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) offers the highest yield at 4. 9%, versus 2. 8% for MetLife, Inc. (MET).
09Is MFC or MET better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.
99), 4. 9% yield, +244. 9% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MFC: +244. 9%, MET: +156. 8%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
10What are the main differences between MFC and MET?
Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.
In terms of investment character: MFC is a mid-cap high-growth stock; MET is a mid-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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