MetLife Preferred Current Debt

MET-PE Preferred Stock  USD 24.20  0.09  0.37%   
MetLife Preferred Stock holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.462. . MetLife Preferred's financial risk is the risk to MetLife Preferred stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt.

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

MetLife Preferred's liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. MetLife Preferred's cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps MetLife Preferred Stock's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect MetLife Preferred's stakeholders.
For most companies, including MetLife Preferred, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for MetLife Preferred Stock, the most critical issue when managing liquidity is ensuring that current assets are properly aligned with current liabilities. If they are not, MetLife Preferred's management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet to meet obligations.
Given that MetLife Preferred's debt-to-equity ratio measures a Company's obligations relative to the value of its net assets, it is usually used by traders to estimate the extent to which MetLife Preferred is acquiring new debt as a mechanism of leveraging its assets. A high debt-to-equity ratio is generally associated with increased risk, implying that it has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. Another way to look at debt-to-equity ratios is to compare the overall debt load of MetLife Preferred to its assets or equity, showing how much of the company assets belong to shareholders vs. creditors. If shareholders own more assets, MetLife Preferred is said to be less leveraged. If creditors hold a majority of MetLife Preferred's assets, the Company is said to be highly leveraged.
  
Check out the analysis of MetLife Preferred Fundamentals Over Time.

MetLife Preferred Stock Debt to Cash Allocation

Many companies such as MetLife Preferred, eventually find out that there is only so much market out there to be conquered, and adding the next product or service is only half as profitable per unit as their current endeavors. Eventually, the company will reach a point where cash flows are strong, and extra cash is available but not fully utilized. In this case, the company may start buying back its stock from the public or issue more dividends.
MetLife Preferred Stock has accumulated 17.8 B in total debt with debt to equity ratio (D/E) of 1.46, which is about average as compared to similar companies. MetLife Preferred Stock has a current ratio of 1.01, suggesting that it may not be capable to disburse its financial obligations in time and when they become due. Debt can assist MetLife Preferred until it has trouble settling it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. So, MetLife Preferred's shareholders could walk away with nothing if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt. However, a more frequent occurrence is when companies like MetLife Preferred Stock sell additional shares at bargain prices, diluting existing shareholders. Debt, in this case, can be an excellent and much better tool for MetLife to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about MetLife Preferred's use of debt, we should always consider it together with cash and equity.

MetLife Preferred Assets Financed by Debt

Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the MetLife Preferred's operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of MetLife Preferred, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility.

Understaning MetLife Preferred Use of Financial Leverage

MetLife Preferred's financial leverage ratio helps determine the effect of debt on the overall profitability of the company. It measures MetLife Preferred's total debt position, including all outstanding debt obligations, and compares it with MetLife Preferred's equity. Financial leverage can amplify the potential profits to MetLife Preferred's owners, but it also increases the potential losses and risk of financial distress, including bankruptcy, if MetLife Preferred is unable to cover its debt costs.
MetLife, Inc. engages in the insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management businesses worldwide. MetLife, Inc. was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in New York, New York. MetLife Inc is traded on NYQ Exchange in the United States.
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Other Information on Investing in MetLife Preferred Stock

MetLife Preferred financial ratios help investors to determine whether MetLife Preferred Stock is cheap or expensive when compared to a particular measure, such as profits or enterprise value. In other words, they help investors to determine the cost of investment in MetLife with respect to the benefits of owning MetLife Preferred security.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.