BHF Outperforms Industry, Trades at a Discount: How to Play the Stock

Core Insights - Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (BHF) has seen a share price increase of 37.7% over the past year, outperforming its industry, the Finance sector, and the Zacks S&P 500 composite, which grew by 17.3%, 19.6%, and 10.8% respectively [1] - The company has a market capitalization of $3.31 billion and an average trading volume of 0.8 million shares over the last three months [1] Valuation and Performance - BHF shares are trading at a forward price-to-book value of 0.63X, significantly lower than the industry average of 1.97X, the Finance sector's 4.16X, and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite's 8.09X, indicating attractive valuation [3] - The trailing 12-month return on equity for BHF is 25.6%, surpassing the industry average of 15.37%, reflecting effective utilization of shareholder equity [15] Market Position and Growth Drivers - BHF is positioned to benefit from a growing individual insurance market and an expanding distribution network, with a focus on enhancing its product portfolio through new offerings like Shield Level Pay Plus and SecureKey [8][16] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BHF's 2025 revenues is projected at $8.84 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.4%, with further growth expected in 2026 [9] Sales and Earnings Trends - Earnings for BHF have grown by 16.5% over the past five years, outperforming the industry average of 7.8%, with the company beating earnings estimates in two of the last four quarters [10] - Recent sales growth has been driven by strong performance in annuity products, particularly from the Shield Level Annuity and SecureKey offerings, alongside improved underwriting margins and net investment income [17][18] Analyst Sentiment and Price Targets - The average price target from analysts for BHF is $58.50 per share, suggesting a potential downside of 0.66% from the last closing price [11] - There has been a bearish sentiment among analysts, with three out of six lowering their estimates for 2025 and one for 2026 in the past 30 days [13] Financial Strategy and Capital Management - BHF maintains a well-diversified investment portfolio, which supports stable earnings and capital strength, and is committed to returning capital to shareholders through an opportunistic share repurchase program [20] - The company’s focus on enhancing its balance sheet strength and financial flexibility positions it well for future growth [21]