0001126087 mist2:S000038859Member 2011-11-03 2012-11-02 0001126087 2011-11-03 2012-11-02 0001126087 mist2:S000038859Member mist2:C000119619Member 2011-11-03 2012-11-02 pure iso4217:USD <div style="display:none">~ http://www.metlife.com/role/ScheduleShareholderFeesMetLifeMultiIndexTargetedRiskPortfolio column period compact * ~</div> Example MetLife Multi-Index Targeted Risk Portfolio <a name="pro429057_1"></a>PORTFOLIO SUMMARY: The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells certain instruments (or “turns over” its portfolio). In addition, an Underlying Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it turns over its portfolio. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the performance of both the Underlying Portfolios and the Portfolio. While the Portfolio had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, it is not anticipated that the Portfolio’s turnover rate will typically exceed 100%. Other Expenses and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (Underlying Portfolio Fees and Expenses) are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. <div style="display:none">~ http://www.metlife.com/role/ScheduleAnnualPortfolioOperatingExpensesMetLifeMultiIndexTargetedRiskPortfolio column period compact * ~</div> 485BPOS MET INVESTORS SERIES TRUST The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio. These fees and expenses are estimated for the period ended December 31, 2012, and are expressed as a percentage of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets over that period. The table and the Example below do not reflect the fees, expenses or withdrawal charges imposed by your variable life insurance policy or variable annuity contract (the “Contract”) but do reflect the fees and expenses of the investment companies in which the Portfolio invests (the “Underlying Portfolios”). If Contract expenses were reflected, the fees and expenses in the table and Example would be higher. See the Contract prospectus for a description of those fees, expenses and charges. Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) The following Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio, including the cost of investing in the Underlying Portfolios, with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that you reinvest all of your dividends, and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same and that any expense limitations for the Portfolio remain in effect only for one year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be: 83 -0.0353 0001126087 false 2012-11-02 Investment Objectives Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio 0 November 30, 2013 Portfolio Turnover Principal Investment Strategies The Portfolio seeks to achieve its objectives by investing approximately 75% of its assets in Class A shares of the Underlying Portfolios, which are passively-managed index portfolios that are series of the Metropolitan Series Fund (“MSF”) (the “Base Portion”), and approximately 25% of its assets in a portfolio of fixed income securities that serve as collateral for equity derivative instruments, consisting primarily of stock index futures (the “Overlay Portion”). A stock index future is a contract for the future delivery of a cash payment based on the performance of a stock index such as the S&P 500 Index. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its net assets in index-related instruments, including derivatives. In its neutral state, the Portfolio will allocate 60% of its total assets to equity instruments (either equity index portfolios or equity derivative instruments) and 40% of its total assets to fixed-income securities (either fixed income index portfolios or fixed income securities). The Portfolio will alter its allocation as necessary to reduce volatility in an attempt to mitigate the effects of extreme market conditions. In general, the Portfolio will decrease equity exposure in periods of increased volatility and increase equity exposure during periods of reduced volatility. The Portfolio’s exposure to equity markets will range from approximately 10% to approximately 70% of its total assets. MetLife Advisers, LLC (“MetLife Advisers”) is the adviser to the Portfolio and is also responsible for managing the Base Portion’s allocations among the Underlying Portfolios. MetLife Advisers establishes specific target investment percentages for the asset classes and the various components of each asset category. Under normal circumstances, the approximately 75% of the Portfolio’s assets comprising the Base Portion invest primarily in Underlying Portfolios in accordance with the target allocations of 35% to equity and 40% to fixed income. The Base Portion seeks to achieve capital appreciation through its investments in Underlying Portfolios that seek to track the performance of equity indexes such as the S&P 500 Index, S&P MidCap 400 Index, Russell 2000 Index and MSCI EAFE Index. The Base Portion seeks to achieve current income through its investments in Underlying Portfolios that seek to track the performance of fixed income indexes, such as the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The Portfolio is expected to have exposure to equities of various market capitalizations and foreign equities, as well as fixed income indexes tracking investment grade and mortgage- and asset-backed securities through the Base Portion’s investments. In the future the Base Portion may invest in other Underlying Portfolios that are series of MSF or of Met Investors Series Trust (the “Trust,” and together with MSF, the “Funds”). MetLife Investment Management, LLC (formerly, MetLife Investment Advisors Company, LLC) (“MIM” or the “Subadviser”) is responsible for managing the Overlay Portion, including the management of the fixed income collateral. The Overlay Portion, which comprises approximately 25% of the Portfolio’s total assets, in its neutral state will provide the Portfolio with an additional 25% exposure to the equity markets utilizing equity derivative instruments, which primarily include stock index futures and swaps. Because equity derivative instruments may be purchased with a fraction of the assets that would be needed to purchase the equity securities directly, the remainder of the assets in the Overlay Portion will be invested in a variety of high quality, short-term fixed income instruments. For more information about the derivative instruments in which the Portfolio may invest, please see the section “Additional Information About the Portfolio’s Investment Strategies—Understanding the Portfolio” in the Prospectus and “Investment Strategies and Risks” in the Statement of Additional Information. The Portfolio’s investment in equity derivative instruments will be used to increase or decrease the Portfolio’s overall equity exposure, and therefore, its volatility. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index over time. Volatility may result from rapid and dramatic price swings. The Subadviser will adjust the Portfolio’s equity exposure in accordance with the guidelines discussed below within a range from approximately 10% to approximately 70%. For example, when the market is in a state of increased volatility, the Subadviser will decrease the Portfolio’s equity exposure by holding fewer equity index futures or by taking a short position in equity index futures. A short position involves the use by the Portfolio of a security or instrument that may benefit from a decrease in the price of underlying securities. When the Portfolio’s total equity exposure exceeds 60%, the Portfolio may be exposed to leverage. The Subadviser will purchase or sell equity derivatives in the Overlay Portion in an attempt to target an annualized equity contribution to the Portfolio’s volatility level of 10%. The Subadviser will allow the equity contribution to the Portfolio’s volatility level to vary between a low of 8% and a high of 12%. If volatility remains within this range, the Subadviser will take no action to alter the Portfolio’s equity exposure. If volatility falls outside of this range, the Subadviser will take appropriate action to increase or decrease the Portfolio’s equity market exposure until the 10% level is achieved. There can be no guarantee that the Portfolio will reach the targeted volatility or remain within its target volatility range. In addition to managing the Portfolio’s overall equity exposure as described above, the Subadviser will, within established guidelines, manage the approximately 25% of the Portfolio allocated as collateral to support the equity and other derivatives used by the Portfolio. The Subadviser will invest the collateral in fixed-income instruments consisting of a mix of U.S. Government securities, certificates of deposit, commercial paper rated in the two highest grades by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization, or, if unrated, determined by the Subadviser to be of comparable quality, and repurchase agreements on such instruments. At times, including during periods of high volatility, the Subadviser may reduce the equity derivative holdings and invest a portion of the Overlay Portion’s assets in short-term fixed income instruments that replicate the holdings of indexes of Treasury and/or agency securities. All fixed-income instruments held in the Overlay Portion will have a remaining maturity of 365 days or less. The Portfolio will also use a combination of interest rate swaps and interest rate futures and total return swaps with a notional value (meaning the fixed face value, rather than the market value of these instruments) equal to approximately 30% of the Portfolio’s net assets under normal market conditions. This percentage could change, depending upon the market environment, but is expected to stay within a range of 25% to 35% of the Portfolio’s net assets. The Subadviser expects these instruments to provide additional diversification benefits and to balance the sources of risk in the Portfolio. The Subadviser anticipates that under normal market conditions these interest rate sensitive instruments will have a maturity of approximately 10 years. The following chart sets forth the Portfolio’s neutral asset allocation targets set by MetLife Advisers for the entire investment portfolio, as of November 2, 2012. The Portfolio’s actual allocations to the asset classes and sub-asset classes within the Base Portion and within the Overlay Portion could vary substantially from the target allocations due to both market valuation changes and the Subadviser’s management of the Overlay Portion in response to volatility changes. Both the asset allocation between equity instruments and fixed income securities and the allocation between the Base Portion and the Overlay Portion will therefore be rebalanced on a quarterly basis. <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="76%" border="0" style="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE" align="center"> <tr> <td width="84%"></td> <td valign="bottom" width="5%"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td valign="bottom" width="5%"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom" nowrap="nowrap" align="center"> Asset Class</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom" colspan="6" align="center" style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000">% of Total Portfolio</td> <td valign="bottom"> </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#cceeff"> <td valign="top"> Equity</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> </td> <td valign="bottom" align="right">60%</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td></tr> <tr style="font-size:1px"> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td> </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">           U.S. Large Cap</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> </td> <td valign="bottom" align="right">29</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom">% </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#cceeff"> <td valign="top">            U.S. Mid Cap</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> </td> <td valign="bottom" align="right">9</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom">% </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">           U.S. Small Cap</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> </td> <td valign="bottom" align="right">5</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom">% </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#cceeff"> <td valign="top">            Foreign Equity</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> </td> <td valign="bottom" align="right">17</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom">% </td></tr> <tr> <td height="8"></td> <td height="8" colspan="4"></td> <td height="8" colspan="4"></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> Fixed Income</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> </td> <td valign="bottom" align="right">40%</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td></tr> <tr style="font-size:1px"> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td> </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td></tr> <tr> <td height="8"></td> <td height="8" colspan="4"></td> <td height="8" colspan="4"></td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#cceeff"> <td valign="top">            U.S. Investment Grade</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom"></td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> </td> <td valign="bottom" align="right">40</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom">% </td></tr> </table> As with all mutual funds, there is no guarantee that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective. You could lose money by investing in the Portfolio. An investment in the Portfolio through a Contract is not a deposit or obligation of, or guaranteed by, any bank, and is not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. Government. There are direct and indirect risks of investing in the Portfolio. The value of your investment in the Portfolio may be affected by one or more of the following risks, which are described in more detail in “Primary Risks of Investing in the Portfolio” in the Prospectus, any of which could cause the Portfolio’s return, the price of the Portfolio’s shares or the Portfolio’s yield to fluctuate. Please note that there are many other circumstances that could adversely affect your investment and prevent the Portfolio from reaching its objective, which are not described here. Market Risk. Market risk is both a direct and indirect risk of investing in the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s or an Underlying Portfolio’s share price can fall because of, among other things, a decline in the market as a whole, deterioration in the prospects for a particular industry or company, or changes in general economic conditions, such as prevailing interest rates and investor sentiment. Significant disruptions to the financial markets could adversely affect the liquidity and volatility of securities held by the Portfolio or an Underlying Portfolio. Derivatives Risk. Derivatives risk is both a direct and indirect risk of investing in the Portfolio. The Portfolio or Underlying Portfolios may invest in derivatives to obtain investment exposure, enhance return or “hedge” or protect its assets from an unfavorable shift in the value or rate of a reference instrument. Derivatives can significantly increase the Portfolio’s or an Underlying Portfolio’s exposure to market risk, credit and counterparty risk and other risks. Derivatives may be illiquid and difficult to value. Because of their complex nature, some derivatives may not perform as intended. As a result, the Portfolio or an Underlying Portfolio may not realize the anticipated benefits from a derivative it holds or it may realize losses. Derivative transactions may create investment leverage, which may increase the Portfolio’s or an Underlying Portfolio’s volatility and may require such Portfolio to liquidate portfolio securities when it may not be advantageous to do so. Leveraging Risk. Leveraging risk is a direct risk of investing in the Portfolio. Derivatives and other transactions that give rise to leverage may cause the Portfolio’s performance to be more volatile than if the Portfolio had not been leveraged. Leveraging also may require that the Portfolio liquidate portfolio securities when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leveraging may expose the Portfolio to losses in excess of the amounts invested or borrowed. Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is both a direct and indirect risk of investing in the Portfolio. The value of the Portfolio’s or an Underlying Portfolio’s investments in fixed income securities may decline when prevailing interest rates rise or increase when interest rates go down. The longer a security’s maturity or duration, the greater the degree and frequency of which its value should be expected to change in response to changes in interest rates. The Portfolio’s fixed-income portion will normally have a greater maturity or duration than will its benchmark. The interest earned on the Portfolio’s or an Underlying Portfolio’s investments in fixed income securities may decline when prevailing interest rates decline. Credit and Counterparty Risk. Credit and counterparty risk is both a direct and indirect risk of investing in the Portfolio. The value of the Portfolio’s or an Underlying Portfolio’s investments may be adversely affected if a security’s credit rating is downgraded; an issuer of an investment held by the Portfolio or an Underlying Portfolio fails to pay an obligation on a timely basis, otherwise defaults or is perceived by other investors to be less creditworthy; or a counterparty to a derivatives or other transaction with the Portfolio or an Underlying Portfolio files for bankruptcy, becomes insolvent, or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to honor its obligation to the Portfolio or an Underlying Portfolio. Other direct risks of investing in the Portfolio also include: Performance Risk. The investment performance of a Portfolio that invests all or substantially all of its assets in Underlying Portfolios may be adversely affected if the Underlying Portfolios are unable to meet their investment objectives or the Portfolio allocates a significant portion of its assets to an Underlying Portfolio that performs poorly, including relative to other Underlying Portfolios. Asset Allocation Risk. The Portfolio’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends upon MetLife Advisers’ analysis of various factors and MetLife Advisers’ ability to select the appropriate mix of asset classes based on its analysis of such factors, which may prove incorrect. The Portfolio may experience losses or poor relative performance if MetLife Advisers allocates a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets to an asset class that does not perform as MetLife Advisers anticipated, including relative to other asset classes. The Portfolio may underperform funds that allocate their assets differently than the Portfolio. Interest Rate Swap Risk. The risk of interest rate swaps includes changes in market conditions that may affect the value of the contract or the cash flows, and the possible inability of the counterparty to fulfill its obligations under the agreement. Certain interest rate swap arrangements also may involve the risk that they do not fully offset adverse changes in interest rates. Interest rate swaps may in some cases be illiquid and may be difficult to trade or value, especially in the event of market disruptions. Under certain market conditions, the investment performance of the Portfolio may be less favorable than it would have been if the Portfolio had not used the swap agreement. Forward and Futures Contract Risk. The successful use of forward and futures contracts will depend upon the Subadviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of forward and futures contracts are (i) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Portfolio and the price of the forward or futures contract; (ii) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (iii) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (iv) the Subadviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (v) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (vi) if the Portfolio has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Portfolio may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Repurchase Agreement Risk. Repurchase agreements are subject to credit and counterparty risk. In the event a counterparty defaults, becomes insolvent or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to honor its obligation to the Portfolio, the Portfolio may incur delays or restrictions on its ability to dispose of the underlying securities and lose all or a part of the income from the repurchase agreement. Short Sale and Short Position Risk. The Portfolio will incur a loss from a short sale or short position if the value of the security sold short or the reference instrument, in the case of a short position, increases after the time the Portfolio entered into the short sale or short position. Short sales and short positions generally involve a form of leverage, which can exaggerate a Portfolio’s losses, and short positions also may involve credit and counterparty risk. A portfolio that engages in a short sale or short position may lose more money than the actual cost of the short sale or short position and its potential losses may be unlimited if the Portfolio does not own the security sold short or the reference instrument and it is unable to close out of the short sale or short position. Any gain from a short sale or short position will be offset in whole or in part by the transaction costs associated with the short sale or short position. Indirect risks of investing in the Portfolio (direct risks of investing in the Underlying Portfolios) include: Passive Management Risk. In attempting to track the returns of an index, an Underlying Portfolio may be more susceptible to risks because it generally will not use any defensive strategies to mitigate its risk exposure. In addition, the Underlying Portfolio’s returns may deviate from the index it seeks to track as a result of, among other things, portfolio operating expenses, transaction costs and delays in investing cash. Market Capitalization Risk. Investing primarily in issuers in one market capitalization category (large, medium, or small) carries the risk that due to current market conditions that category may be out of favor with investors. Larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges or attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies. Stocks of smaller companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies due to, among other things, narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, and fewer experienced managers. In addition, there is typically less publicly available information about small capitalization companies, and their stocks may have a more limited trading market than stocks of larger companies. Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities because, among other things, they involve risks relating to political, social and economic developments abroad, as well as risks resulting from differences between the regulations and reporting standards and practices to which U.S. and foreign issuers are subject. To the extent foreign securities are denominated in foreign currencies, their values may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates. All of the risks of investing in foreign securities are typically increased by investing in emerging market countries. Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities Risk. The value of investments in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities is subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. These securities are also subject to the risk that issuers will prepay the principal more quickly or more slowly than expected, which could cause an Underlying Portfolio to invest the proceeds in less attractive investments or increase the volatility of their prices. To the extent mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities held by an Underlying Portfolio are backed by lower rated securities, such as sub-prime obligations, or are subordinated to other interests in the same mortgage or asset pool, the likelihood of an Underlying Portfolio receiving payments of principal or interest may be substantially limited. You could lose money by investing in the Portfolio. 0.0434 1012 2012-11-02 2012-11-02 Seeks a balance between growth of capital and current income, with a greater emphasis on growth of capital. Primary Risks An investment in the Portfolio through a Contract is not a deposit or obligation of, or guaranteed by, any bank, and is not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. Government. Past Performance Prior to the date of this Prospectus, the Portfolio had not commenced operations. No performance information is currently available. 0.0018 0.0025 0.037 0.0021 0.0081 1 2012-11-02 Prior to the date of this Prospectus, the Portfolio had not commenced operations. No performance information is currently available. <div style="display:none">~ http://www.metlife.com/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleMetLifeMultiIndexTargetedRiskPortfolio column period compact * ~</div> As an investor in an Underlying Portfolio, the Portfolio bears its pro-rata portion of the operating expenses of that Underlying Portfolio, including such Underlying Portfolio’s management fee. The percentage shown for Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (Underlying Portfolio Fees and Expenses) shows the fees and expenses that the Portfolio expects to incur indirectly as a result of its investments in shares of the relevant Underlying Portfolios during the upcoming fiscal year. Other Expenses and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (Underlying Portfolio Fees and Expenses) are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. MetLife Advisers, LLC has contractually agreed, for the period through November 30, 2013, to waive fees or reimburse expenses (other than acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and any extraordinary expenses) so as to limit Total Annual Operating Expenses (other than acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and any extraordinary expenses) of the Portfolio to 0.60% for Class B shares. This arrangement may be modified or discontinued prior to November 30, 2013, only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Portfolio.