** MetLife MET.N reported a rise in fourth-quarter adjusted profit on Wednesday, helped by a stronger return on its investment portfolio

** Median PT of 17 brokerages covering the stock is $95 - LSEG-compiled data

ALL SIGNS POINT TO STRONG QUARTER

** J.P. Morgan ("overweight," PT: $93) expects MET's results to benefit from healthy variable investment income, higher interest rates, and stabilization in commercial real estate

** Morgan Stanley("overweight," PT: $101) says given MET's current trajectory, it has substantial upside potential and the insurer's ability to maintain its earnings momentum will be key in the future

** Evercore ISI ("in line," PT: $97) sees a solid quarter for MET, with sales trends remaining fairly strong overall; while this is not yet translating into earnings upside, the lack of a guidance cut should be reassuring, even though the guidance is technically below consensus

** Morningstar (fair value: $75) says MET has made progress toward its medium‑term targets, but views its double‑digit EPS growth and 15% to 17% adjusted ROE goals as ambitious based on normalized earnings

(Reporting by Akriti Shah in Bengaluru)

((akriti.shah@thomsonreuters.com))