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MetLifeMET -0.78%76 Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.98 as of Mar. 2026, which is 24% above its 10-year median of 2.40. GuruFocus rates MET with a GF Score™ of 76/100 and a GF Value™ of $90.36 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 320 Insurance companies, MetLife ranks worse than 84.69% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for MetLife's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
MET'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.72 Med: 2.4 Max: 4.8
Current: 3.59
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of MetLife was 4.80. The lowest was 1.72. And the median was 2.40.
MET's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 84.69% of 320
companies
in the Insurance industry
Industry Median: 1.175
vs MET: 3.59
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
MetLife Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
MetLife Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for MetLife's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Insurance - Life subindustry, MetLife's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
MetLife Debt-to-EBITDA vs Insurance Industry
For the Insurance industry and Financial Services sector, MetLife's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where MetLife's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
MetLife (MET) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 2.98 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on MetLife. This is 24% above median its historical median of 2.40. Over the past decade, MetLife's Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.72 to 4.80. According to the industry distribution chart, MetLife ranks #271 out of 320 companies in the Insurance industry, placing it in the top 84.7%.
Is MetLife's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
MetLife's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 2.98 is 24% above median its 10-year median of 2.40. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.72 to a high of 4.80. The Insurance industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.18. MetLife's value of 2.98 is 153.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, MetLife ranks #271 out of 320 companies in the Insurance industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, MetLife has a GF Score™ of 76/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does MetLife's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to AFL and PRU?
According to the Insurance industry distribution chart, MetLife ranks #271 out of 320 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places MetLife in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.18. MetLife's value of 2.98 is 153.6% above this benchmark. Historically, MetLife's own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.72 to 4.80 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.40 vs. the industry median of 1.18, MetLife has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for an Insurance company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Insurance companies is 1.18, based on 320 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. MetLife's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 2.98 is 153.6% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on MetLife. For the Insurance industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.18 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. MetLife's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.98, which is 24% above median its own 10-year median of 2.40. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is MetLife stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, MetLife (MET) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $90.36, compared to a current price of $92.54 — trading 2.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.98, which is 24% above median its 10-year median of 2.40 and 153.6% above the Insurance industry median of 1.18. MetLife's overall GF Score™ is 76/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For MetLife (MET), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.98 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is MetLife (MET) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, MetLife stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $92.54 is trading 2.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $90.36.
GuruFocus considers MetLife to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for MET:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 2.98 (24% above median its 10-year median of 2.40)
GF Value™: $90.36 vs. price of $92.54 (2.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 153.6% above the Insurance median (#271 of 320)
No single metric tells the full story. See the MET stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
MetLife is one of the largest life insurers in the US by assets and provides a variety of life insurance and annuity products. It is organized into six segments: Group Benefits, Retirement and Income Solutions, Asia, Latin America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and MetLife Holdings (products in run-off). Group Benefits and RIS are US-based, contributing to around 48% of the firm's 2024 adjusted earnings. The Asia segment contributes around 25% of earnings, mainly tied to Japan. The company also holds leading market positions in Mexico and Chile, with the Latin America segment contributing around 13% of 2024 earnings. The EMEA and MetLife Holdings segments contributed around 4% and 10% of 2024 earnings, respectively.
76GF Score
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Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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