02.06.2008 13:00:00
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MetLife to Divest Stake in Reinsurance Group of America Through Tax-Free Split-Off of RGA Stock to MetLife Stockholders
MetLife, Inc. ("MetLife”)
(NYSE: MET) and Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated ("RGA”)
(NYSE: RGA) today jointly announced their agreement on a transaction for
MetLife to divest substantially all of its 52% interest in RGA through a
tax-free split-off of RGA stock to MetLife stockholders. Under the terms
of the transaction, RGA will recapitalize its common stock into two
classes of common stock—Class A common stock
with the right to elect up to 20% of RGA’s
directors and Class B common stock with the right to elect at least 80%
of RGA’s directors—and
substantially all of MetLife’s interest in RGA
will be exchanged for RGA class B common stock. Immediately after this
recapitalization, MetLife will conduct a tax-free split-off, in which it
will offer the RGA class B common stock to MetLife stockholders in
exchange for shares of MetLife common stock.
MetLife believes that the transaction will provide numerous benefits to
MetLife and its stockholders, as well as to RGA and its shareholders,
including facilitating MetLife and RGA’s
respective expansion and growth. MetLife and RGA also believe that the
transaction will strengthen each company’s
ability to focus on developing and growing its core businesses.
RGA believes that the transaction will be beneficial to its shareholders
because, among other things, it will significantly increase the
liquidity and public float of RGA’s common
stock by nearly doubling the number of shares held by public
shareholders and will provide RGA management with greater flexibility in
dealing with the opportunities and challenges specific to its businesses.
MetLife and RGA currently expect that the recapitalization and split-off
transaction will be completed in the third quarter of 2008, but the
completion of the transaction is subject to certain conditions,
including approval by the holders of a majority of the shares of RGA’s
common stock (other than those held by MetLife and its subsidiaries)
present at a special meeting to be held for such purpose; the tender by
MetLife stockholders of a sufficient number of shares of MetLife common
stock in the split-off (which minimum tender amount will be determined
by MetLife prior to commencement of the split-off); the receipt of
certain regulatory approvals; no withdrawal or adverse change to the IRS
ruling that the parties obtained with respect to the transaction; and
other customary conditions. Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to
when the recapitalization, the split-off or any of the other
transactions described above will occur or if they will occur at all.
In connection with the recapitalization, RGA will seek shareholder
approval of a series of corporate governance-related changes to its
articles of incorporation and ratification of a Section 382 shareholder
rights plan. The corporate governance-related changes include
limitations on the voting power with respect to directors of a holder of
greater than 15% of the outstanding shares of RGA class B common stock
if such holder does not hold an equivalent percentage of outstanding
shares of RGA class A common stock, restrictions on acquiring RGA common
stock if such acquisition would make the holder become a "5%
shareholder” (as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code) to protect certain tax assets of RGA, and, as described
below, provisions relating to the potential conversion of RGA class A
common stock and RGA class B common stock into a single class of common
stock after the split-off. RGA is concurrently announcing the Section
382 shareholder rights plan in a separate press release.
RGA’s board of directors formed a special
committee consisting solely of independent directors to evaluate the
recapitalization and related transactions. Upon recommendation of this
special committee, RGA’s board of directors
has approved the agreement with MetLife and the related transactions,
and has resolved to recommend that the RGA shareholders approve such
transactions. RGA expects that, following the completion of the
transactions, its board of directors will consider submitting to a
shareholder vote a proposal to convert the dual-class structure adopted
in the recapitalization into a single-class structure. There can be no
assurance, however, that RGA’s board of
directors will consider proposing a conversion or resolve to submit such
a proposal to RGA’s shareholders and, if
submitted, that the RGA shareholders would approve such a conversion.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Merrill Lynch & Co. acted as financial advisors
to MetLife, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz provided legal counsel to
MetLife. Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated acted as financial advisor to
the special committee of RGA’s board of
directors, and Bryan Cave LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
LLP provided legal counsel to the special committee of RGA’s
board of directors.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with MetLife’s proposed
divestiture of its stake in RGA, RGA will file with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC) a registration statement on Form S-4, and
MetLife will file with the SEC a statement on Schedule TO. Investors
and holders of RGA and MetLife securities are strongly
encouraged to read the registration statement(s) and any other relevant
documents filed with the SEC, including the preliminary proxy
statement/prospectus relating to the recapitalization that will be part
of the registration statement, the preliminary prospectus relating to
the split-off that will be part of the registration statement, the final
proxy statement/prospectus relating to the recapitalization and the
final prospectus relating to the split-off and related split-off
materials, as well as any amendments and supplements to those documents,
because they will contain important information about RGA, MetLife, and
the proposed transactions. The final proxy statement/prospectus
relating to the recapitalization and related transactions will be mailed
to shareholders of RGA and the final prospectus relating to the
split-off will be mailed to stockholders of MetLife. Investors and
security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration
statement, the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the
recapitalization and the prospectus relating to the split-off (when
available) as well as other filed documents containing information about
MetLife and RGA, without charge, at the SEC’s
web site (www.sec.gov). Free
copies of RGA’s filings also may be obtained
by directing a request to RGA, Investor Relations, by phone to (636)
736-7243, in writing to Mr. John Hayden, Vice President-Investor
Relations, Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated, 1370 Timberlake
Manor Parkway, Chesterfield, Missouri, 63017, or by email to investrelations@rgare.com.
Free copies of MetLife’s filings may be
obtained by directing a request to MetLife, Investor Relations, by phone
to (212) 578-2211, in writing to MetLife, Inc., 1 MetLife Plaza, Long
Island City, NY 11101, or by email to metir@metlife.com.
Neither RGA, MetLife nor any of their respective directors or executive
officers or any dealer manager appointed with respect to the exchange
offer makes any recommendation as to whether you should participate in
the exchange offer.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale
of securities in any jurisdiction in which such solicitation or sale
would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of such jurisdiction. Such an offer may be made solely
by a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S.
Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Accordingly, neither the proxy
solicitation for the recapitalization nor the offer for the outstanding
shares of MetLife common stock pursuant to the split-off described in
this communication has commenced. At the time that the contemplated
split-off is commenced, MetLife will file a statement on Schedule TO
with the SEC. The distribution of this communication may, in some
countries, be restricted by law or regulation. Accordingly, persons who
come into possession of this document should inform themselves of and
observe these restrictions.
Participants in the Solicitation
RGA, MetLife and their respective directors and executive officers may
be deemed, under SEC rules, to be participants in the solicitation of
proxies from RGA’s shareholders with respect
to the proposed transaction. Information regarding the directors and
executive officers of RGA is included in its definitive proxy statement
for its 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on April
9, 2008. Information regarding the directors and officers of MetLife is
included in the definitive proxy statement for MetLife’s
2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on March 18,
2008. More detailed information regarding the identity of potential
participants, and their direct or indirect interests, by securities
holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the registration statement,
the proxy statement/prospectus, the prospectus relating to the split-off
and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the
proposed transactions.
About RGA
RGA is, through its various operating subsidiaries, among the largest
global providers of life reinsurance. RGA has subsidiary companies or
offices in Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, China, France, Germany,
Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa,
South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Worldwide, RGA has approximately $2.2 trillion of life reinsurance in
force, and assets of $21.8 billion. MetLife, Inc. is the beneficial
owner of approximately 52% of RGA’s
outstanding shares.
About MetLife
Celebrating 140 years, MetLife, Inc. is a leading provider of insurance
and financial services with operations throughout the United States and
the Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Through its domestic
and international subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. reaches
more than 70 million customers around the world and MetLife is the
largest life insurer in the United States (based on life insurance
in-force). The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, auto
and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to
individuals, as well as group insurance, reinsurance and retirement &
savings products and services to corporations and other institutions.
For more information, please visit www.metlife.com.
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