BHF Stock Trading at a Discount to Industry at 0.51X: Time to Buy?

Core Viewpoint - Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (BHF) is trading at a significant discount compared to its peers in the life insurance industry, with a price-to-book value of 0.51X versus the industry average of 1.91X, indicating potential undervaluation [1]. Financial Performance - BHF has a market capitalization of $2.72 billion and has experienced a year-to-date share price decline of 1.5%, underperforming the industry, Finance sector, and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite [1][3]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 revenues is projected at $8.8 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 1.1%. However, the current-year earnings estimate is $18.44 per share, down 6.3% from the previous year [5]. - The trailing 12-month return on equity for BHF is 25.6%, significantly higher than the industry average of 15.37%, indicating effective utilization of shareholders' equity [11]. Strategic Initiatives - BHF is expanding its life and annuity offerings to enhance growth and market presence, focusing on less capital-intensive products and broader distribution channels [7][12]. - The company aims to capitalize on the growing individual insurance market by increasing life insurance sales and enhancing annuity solutions [12]. Investment Income - BHF's net investment income has shown consistent improvement, with adjusted net investment income rising 2% year-over-year to $1.3 billion in Q1 2025, supported by asset growth [14]. - The yield on adjusted net investment income reached 4.25% in the first quarter, indicating a strengthening investment income profile [14]. Financial Challenges - Total expenses for BHF nearly quadrupled to $2.7 billion in Q1 2025, with corporate expenses increasing by 15.4% year-over-year to $239 million, leading to a negative net margin of 11% [15]. - The company's long-term debt stands at $3.2 billion, resulting in a high debt-to-equity ratio of 59.5%, significantly above the industry average of 16.8% [16]. Analyst Sentiment - The average price target for BHF, based on short-term estimates from 10 analysts, is $59.60 per share, suggesting a potential upside of 21.3% from the last closing price [8]. - Mixed analyst sentiment is reflected in the slight downward adjustment of the 2025 earnings estimate by 0.2% over the past week, while the 2026 estimate increased by 0.5% [10].