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MetLife Shareholders Approve Proposals at 2011 Annual Meeting

^{Published on 2011-04-26 13:11:20 - Market Wire}
 

NEW YORK--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) announced that the companya™s shareholders today approved all of the proposals presented for vote at MetLifea™s 2011 annual meeting.

Shareholders voted in favor of each of the board of director nominees, including Steven A. Kandarian, MetLifea™s incoming president and chief executive officer.

In addition, shareholders approved an amendment to the companya™s certificate of incorporation to declassify MetLifea™s board of directors. Beginning in 2012, the class of directors to be elected each year will be elected for a one year term. Declassification will be phased in without changing the existing terms to which directors were elected by shareholders or appointed to the board. The phase in will be complete in 2014.

Shareholders also approved the compensation paid to the companya™s named executive officers, as disclosed in MetLifea™s Notice of 2011 Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement, and voted in favor of an annual frequency for future advisory votes on named executive officer compensation a" both on an advisory basis. Shareholders also ratified the appointment of the independent auditor.

The board had recommended a vote in favor of all of the proposals presented at this yeara™s meeting, and in favor of an annual frequency for future advisory votes on named executive officer compensation. The final vote totals will be disclosed in a Form 8-K that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within four business days following todaya™s meeting. Further details on the proposals can be found in the 2011 proxy statement, which is available in the Investor Relations section of MetLifea™s web site ([ investor.metlife.com ]).

MetLife, Inc. is a leading global provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90 million customers in over 60 countries. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit [ www.metlife.com ].

This press 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 aanticipate,a aestimate,a aexpect,a aproject,a aintend,a aplan,a abelievea and other words and terms of similar meaning 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.a™s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the aSECa). 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 seek financing or access our credit facilities; (3) uncertainty about the effectiveness of the U.S. governmenta™s programs to stabilize the financial system, the imposition of fees relating thereto, or the promulgation of additional regulations; (4) impact of comprehensive financial services regulation reform on us; (5) exposure to financial and capital market risk; (6) changes in general economic conditions, including the performance of financial markets and interest rates, which may affect our ability to raise capital, 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; (7) potential liquidity and other risks resulting from our participation in a securities lending program and other transactions; (8) investment losses and defaults, and changes to investment valuations; (9) impairments of goodwill and realized losses or market value impairments to illiquid assets; (10) defaults on our mortgage loans; (11) the impairment of other financial institutions that could adversely affect our investments or business; (12) our ability to address unforeseen liabilities, asset impairments, loss of key contractual relationships, or rating actions arising from acquisitions or dispositions, including our acquisition of American Life Insurance Company and Delaware American Life Insurance Company (collectively, aALICOa) and to successfully integrate and manage the growth of acquired businesses with minimal disruption; (13) uncertainty with respect to the outcome of the closing agreement entered into with the United States Internal Revenue Service in connection with the acquisition of ALICO; (14) uncertainty with respect to any incremental tax benefits resulting from the planned elections for ALICO and certain of its subsidiaries under Section 338 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; (15) the dilutive impact on our stockholders resulting from the issuance of equity securities in connection with the acquisition of ALICO or otherwise; (16) economic, political, currency and other risks relating to our international operations, including with respect to fluctuations of exchange rates; (17) our primary reliance, as a holding company, on dividends from our subsidiaries to meet debt payment obligations and the applicable regulatory restrictions on the ability of the subsidiaries to pay such dividends; (18) downgrades in our claims paying ability, financial strength or credit ratings; (19) ineffectiveness of risk management policies and procedures; (20) availability and effectiveness of reinsurance or indemnification arrangements, as well as default or failure of counterparties to perform; (21) discrepancies between actual claims experience and assumptions used in setting prices for our products and establishing the liabilities for our obligations for future policy benefits and claims; (22) catastrophe losses; (23) heightened competition, including with respect to pricing, entry of new competitors, consolidation of distributors, the development of new products by new and existing competitors, distribution of amounts available under U.S. government programs, and for personnel; (24) unanticipated changes in industry trends; (25) changes in accounting standards, practices and/or policies; (26) changes in assumptions related to deferred policy acquisition costs, deferred sales inducements, value of business acquired or goodwill; (27) increased expenses relating to pension and postretirement benefit plans, as well as health care and other employee benefits; (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 the adjustment for nonperformance risk; (29) deterioration in the experience of the aclosed blocka established in connection with the reorganization of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; (30) adverse results or other consequences from litigation, arbitration or regulatory investigations; (31) inability to protect our intellectual property rights or claims of infringement of the intellectual property rights of others, (32) discrepancies between actual experience and assumptions used in establishing liabilities related to other contingencies or obligations; (33) regulatory, legislative or tax changes relating to our insurance, banking, international, or other operations that may affect the cost of, or demand for, our products or services, impair our ability to attract and retain talented and experienced management and other employees, or increase the cost or administrative burdens of providing benefits to employees; (34) the effects of business disruption or economic contraction due to terrorism, other hostilities, or natural catastrophes, including any related impact on our disaster recovery systems and management continuity planning which could impair our ability to conduct business effectively; (35) the effectiveness of our programs and practices in avoiding giving our associates incentives to take excessive risks; and (36) other risks and uncertainties described from time to time in MetLife, Inc.a™s filings with the SEC.

MetLife, Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statement if we later become 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.