Subsequent Events

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Subsequent Events [Abstract]

Subsequent Event

23. Subsequent Events

Preferred Stock Issuance

On January 15, 2020, MetLife, Inc. issued 40,000 shares of 4.75% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F (the “Series F preferred stock”) with a $0.01 par value per share and a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of $972 million. MetLife, Inc. deposited the Series F preferred stock under a deposit agreement with a depositary, which issued interests in fractional shares of the Series F preferred stock in the form of depositary shares (“Series F Depositary Shares”) evidenced by depositary receipts; each Series F Depositary Share representing 1/1,000th interest in a share of the Series F preferred stock. In connection with the offering of the Series F Depositary Shares, MetLife, Inc. incurred approximately $28 million of issuance costs which have been recorded as a reduction of additional paid-in capital.

MetLife, Inc. will pay dividends on the Series F Preferred Stock only when, as and if declared by MetLife, Inc.’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof), out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends. Any such dividends will be payable on a non-cumulative basis from the date of original issue, quarterly in arrears on the 15th day of March, June, September and December of each year, commencing on June 15, 2020.

MetLife, Inc. may, at its option, redeem the Series F preferred stock, (i) in whole but not in part at any time prior to March 15, 2025, within 90 days after the occurrence of a “rating agency event,” at a redemption price equal to $25,500 per share of Series F preferred stock (equivalent to $25.50 per Series F Depositary Share), plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends per share that have accrued but have not been declared and paid for the then-current dividend period to, but excluding, the redemption date; (ii) in whole but not in part, at any time prior to March 15, 2025, within 90 days after the occurrence of a “regulatory capital event”; and (iii) in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time, on or after March 15, 2025, in the case of (ii) or (iii), at a redemption price equal to $25,000 per share of Series F preferred stock (equivalent to $25 per Series F Depositary Share), plus an amount equal to any dividends per share that have accrued but not been declared and paid for the then-current dividend period to, but excluding, such redemption date. A “rating agency event” means that any nationally recognized statistical rating organization that then publishes a rating for MetLife, Inc. amends, clarifies or changes the criteria used to assign equity credit to securities like the Series F preferred stock, which results in the lowering of the equity credit assigned to the Series F preferred stock or shortens the length of time that the Series F preferred stock is assigned a particular level of equity credit. A “regulatory capital event” could occur as a result of a change or proposed change in capital adequacy rules (or the interpretation or application thereof) of any capital regulator, including but not limited to the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Insurance Office, the NAIC or any state insurance regulator as may then have group-wide oversight of MetLife, Inc.’s regulatory capital, from rules (or the interpretation or application thereof) in effect as of January 15, 2020, that would create a more than insubstantial risk, as determined by MetLife, Inc., that the Series F preferred stock would not be treated as “Tier 1 capital” or as capital with attributes similar to those of Tier 1 capital, except that a “regulatory capital event” will not include a change or proposed change (or the interpretation or application thereof) that would result in the adoption of any criteria substantially the same as the criteria in the capital adequacy rules of the Federal Reserve Board applicable to bank holding companies as of January 15, 2020.

Preferred Stock Dividends

On February 18, 2020, MetLife, Inc. announced a first quarter 2020 dividend of $0.253 per share, for a total of $6 million, on its Series A preferred stock, subject to the final confirmation that it has met the financial tests specified in the certificate of designation for the Series A preferred stock, which the Company anticipates will be made and announced on or about March 5, 2020. The dividend will be payable on March 16, 2020 to shareholders of record as of March 1, 2020.

On February 18, 2020, MetLife, Inc. announced a first quarter 2020 dividend of $29.375 per share, for a total of $15 million, on its Series D preferred stock, and $351.563 per share, for a total of $11 million, on its Series E preferred stock. Both dividends will be payable on March 16, 2020 to shareholders of record as of February 29, 2020.

Common Stock Repurchases

In 2019, through February 14, 2020, MetLife, Inc. repurchased 973,315 shares of its common stock in the open market for $51 million.

Common Stock Dividend

On January 7, 2020, the MetLife, Inc. Board of Directors declared a first quarter 2020 common stock dividend of $0.44 per share payable on March 13, 2020 to shareholders of record as of February 4, 2020. The Company estimates that the aggregate dividend payment will be $404 million.