MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) today announced that it has declared first
quarter 2015 dividends of $0.2500000 per share on the company’s floating
rate non-cumulative preferred stock, Series A (NYSE: METPrA), and
$0.4062500 per share on the company’s 6.50% non-cumulative preferred
stock, Series B (NYSE: METPrB), subject to the final confirmation that
it has met the financial tests specified in the Series A and Series B
preferred stock, which the company anticipates will be made and
announced on or about March 5, 2015, the earliest date permitted in
accordance with the terms of the securities.
The New York Stock Exchange has not yet set ex-dividend dates for each
series of preferred stock. Following MetLife’s confirmatory announcement
on or about March 5, 2015, the New York Stock Exchange will set
ex-dividend dates for each series of preferred stock. Both dividends
will be payable March 16, 2015, to shareholders of record as of Feb. 28,
2015.
About MetLife
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates
(“MetLife”), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the
world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life insurance,
annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Serving approximately
100 million customers, MetLife has operations in nearly 50 countries and
holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin
America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.
This news release may contain or incorporate by reference information
that includes or is based upon forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements give expectations or forecasts of future
events. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not
relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words such as
“anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,”
“believe” and other words and terms of similar meaning, or are tied to
future periods, in connection with a discussion of future operating or
financial performance. In particular, these include statements relating
to future actions, prospective services or products, future performance
or results of current and anticipated services or products, sales
efforts, expenses, the outcome of contingencies such as legal
proceedings, trends in operations and financial results.
Any or all forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They can
be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and
uncertainties. Many such factors will be important in determining the
actual future results of MetLife, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates.
These statements are based on current expectations and the current
economic environment. They involve a number of risks and uncertainties
that are difficult to predict. These statements are not guarantees of
future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those
expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Risks,
uncertainties, and other factors that might cause such differences
include the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in
MetLife, Inc.’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”). These factors include: (1) difficult conditions in the
global capital markets; (2) increased volatility and disruption of the
capital and credit markets, which may affect our ability to meet
liquidity needs and access capital, including through our credit
facilities, generate fee income and market-related revenue and finance
statutory reserve requirements and may require us to pledge collateral
or make payments related to declines in value of specified assets,
including assets supporting risks ceded to certain of our captive
reinsurers or hedging arrangements associated with those risks; (3)
exposure to financial and capital market risks, including as a result of
the disruption in Europe; (4) impact of comprehensive financial services
regulation reform on us, as a non-bank systemically important financial
institution, or otherwise; (5) numerous rulemaking initiatives required
or permitted by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer
Protection Act which may impact how we conduct our business, including
those compelling the liquidation of certain financial institutions; (6)
regulatory, legislative or tax changes relating to our insurance,
international, or other operations that may affect the cost of, or
demand for, our products or services, or increase the cost or
administrative burdens of providing benefits to employees; (7) adverse
results or other consequences from litigation, arbitration or regulatory
investigations; (8) potential liquidity and other risks resulting from
our participation in a securities lending program and other
transactions; (9) investment losses and defaults, and changes to
investment valuations; (10) changes in assumptions related to investment
valuations, deferred policy acquisition costs, deferred sales
inducements, value of business acquired or goodwill; (11) impairments of
goodwill and realized losses or market value impairments to illiquid
assets; (12) defaults on our mortgage loans; (13) the defaults or
deteriorating credit of other financial institutions that could
adversely affect us; (14) economic, political, legal, currency and other
risks relating to our international operations, including with respect
to fluctuations of exchange rates; (15) downgrades in our claims paying
ability, financial strength or credit ratings; (16) a deterioration in
the experience of the “closed block” established in connection with the
reorganization of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; (17) availability
and effectiveness of reinsurance or indemnification arrangements, as
well as any default or failure of counterparties to perform; (18)
differences between actual claims experience and underwriting and
reserving assumptions; (19) ineffectiveness of risk management policies
and procedures; (20) catastrophe losses; (21) increasing cost and
limited market capacity for statutory life insurance reserve financings;
(22) heightened competition, including with respect to pricing, entry of
new competitors, consolidation of distributors, the development of new
products by new and existing competitors, and for personnel; (23)
exposure to losses related to variable annuity guarantee benefits,
including from significant and sustained downturns or extreme volatility
in equity markets, reduced interest rates, unanticipated policyholder
behavior, mortality or longevity, and the adjustment for nonperformance
risk; (24) our ability to address difficulties, unforeseen liabilities,
asset impairments, or rating agency actions arising from business
acquisitions, including our acquisition of American Life Insurance
Company and Delaware American Life Insurance Company, and integrating
and managing the growth of such acquired businesses, or arising from
dispositions of businesses or legal entity reorganizations; (25)
regulatory and other restrictions affecting MetLife, Inc.’s ability to
pay dividends and repurchase common stock; (26) MetLife, Inc.’s primary
reliance, as a holding company, on dividends from its subsidiaries to
meet debt payment obligations and the applicable regulatory restrictions
on the ability of the subsidiaries to pay such dividends; (27) the
possibility that MetLife, Inc.’s Board of Directors may influence the
outcome of stockholder votes through the voting provisions of the
MetLife Policyholder Trust; (28) changes in accounting standards,
practices and/or policies; (29) increased expenses relating to pension
and postretirement benefit plans, as well as health care and other
employee benefits; (30) inability to protect our intellectual property
rights or claims of infringement of the intellectual property rights of
others; (31) inability to attract and retain sales representatives; (32)
provisions of laws and our incorporation documents may delay, deter or
prevent takeovers and corporate combinations involving MetLife; (33) the
effects of business disruption or economic contraction due to disasters
such as terrorist attacks, cyberattacks, other hostilities, or natural
catastrophes, including any related impact on the value of our
investment portfolio, our disaster recovery systems, cyber- or other
information security systems and management continuity planning; (34)
the effectiveness of our programs and practices in avoiding giving our
associates incentives to take excessive risks; and (35) other risks and
uncertainties described from time to time in MetLife, Inc.’s filings
with the SEC.
MetLife, Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or
update any forward-looking statement if MetLife, Inc. later becomes
aware that such statement is not likely to be achieved. Please consult
any further disclosures MetLife, Inc. makes on related subjects in
reports to the SEC.
Copyright Business Wire 2015