MetLife Announces New $2 Billion Share Repurchase Authorization and Brighthouse Financial Exchange Offer

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) today announced that its board of directors has approved a new $2 billion authorization for the company to repurchase its common stock. In 2016, MetLife announced a $3 billion repurchase program and the company has bought back approximately $2.8 billion of its common stock under that board authorization.

The company also announced that it currently intends to divest its remaining Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: BHF) common stock through an exchange offer for MetLife common stock during 2018. The exchange offer would be governed by a separate board authorization, and subject to market conditions and regulatory approval.

Commenting on the announcement, MetLife Chairman, President and CEO Steven A. Kandarian said:

"Excess capital belongs to our shareholders, and we are pleased to announce a new $2 billion share repurchase authorization. Under the Brighthouse Financial exchange offer for MetLife common stock, shares potentially exchanged would be additive to this $2 billion repurchase program. Together with our common stock dividend, we are on track to return $4.5 billion of capital to our shareholders in 2017.”

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 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.

Forward-Looking Statements

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. These factors include: (1) difficult conditions in the global capital markets; (2) increased volatility and disruption of the global 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 global financial and capital market risks, including as a result of the United Kingdom’s notice of withdrawal from the European Union, other disruption in Europe and possible withdrawal of one or more countries from the Euro zone; (4) impact on us of comprehensive financial services regulation reform, including potential regulation of MetLife, Inc. 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) unanticipated or adverse developments that could adversely affect our achieving expected operational or other benefits from the separation of Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (“Brighthouse”); (9) our equity market exposure to Brighthouse following the separation of Brighthouse; (10) liabilities, losses or indemnification obligations arising from our transitional services, investment management or tax arrangements or other agreements with Brighthouse or its subsidiaries; (11) failure of the separation of Brighthouse to qualify for intended tax-free treatment; (12) our ability to address difficulties, unforeseen liabilities, asset impairments, or rating agency actions arising from (a) business acquisitions and integrating and managing the growth of such acquired businesses, (b) dispositions of businesses via sale, initial public offering, spin-off or otherwise, including failure to achieve projected operational benefit from such transactions and any restrictions, liabilities, losses or indemnification obligations arising from any transitional services or tax arrangements related to the separation of any business, or from the failure of such a separation to qualify for any intended tax-free treatment, (c) entry into joint ventures, or (d) legal entity reorganizations; (13) potential liquidity and other risks resulting from our participation in a securities lending program and other transactions; (14) investment losses and defaults, and changes to investment valuations; (15) changes in assumptions related to investment valuations, deferred policy acquisition costs, deferred sales inducements, value of business acquired or goodwill; (16) impairments of goodwill and realized losses or market value impairments to illiquid assets; (17) defaults on our mortgage loans; (18) the defaults or deteriorating credit of other financial institutions that could adversely affect us; (19) economic, political, legal, currency and other risks relating to our international operations, including with respect to fluctuations of exchange rates; (20) downgrades in our claims paying ability, financial strength or credit ratings; (21) a deterioration in the experience of the closed block established in connection with the reorganization of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; (22) availability and effectiveness of reinsurance, hedging or indemnification arrangements, as well as any default or failure of counterparties to perform; (23) differences between actual claims experience and underwriting and reserving assumptions; (24) ineffectiveness of risk management policies and procedures; (25) catastrophe losses; (26) increasing cost and limited market capacity for statutory life insurance reserve financings; (27) 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; (28) 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 any adjustment for nonperformance risk; (29) legal, regulatory and other restrictions affecting MetLife, Inc.’s ability to pay dividends and repurchase common stock; (30) MetLife, Inc.’s and its subsidiary holding companies’ primary reliance, as holding companies, on dividends from subsidiaries to meet free cash flow targets and debt payment obligations and the applicable regulatory restrictions on the ability of the subsidiaries to pay such dividends; (31) 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; (32) changes in accounting standards, practices and/or policies; (33) increased expenses relating to pension and postretirement benefit plans, as well as health care and other employee benefits; (34) inability to protect our intellectual property rights or claims of infringement of the intellectual property rights of others; (35) difficulties in marketing and distributing products through our distribution channels; (36) provisions of laws and our incorporation documents may delay, deter or prevent takeovers and corporate combinations involving MetLife; (37) 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; (38) any failure to protect the confidentiality of client information; (39) the effectiveness of our programs and practices in avoiding giving our associates incentives to take excessive risks; and (40) other risks and uncertainties described from time to time in MetLife, Inc.’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Source: MetLife, Inc.