MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) announced today that it has
originated, through its Agricultural Investments Department, $2.8
billion in agricultural mortgage loans in 2011, consistent with
2010. MetLife continues to be one of the largest agricultural
lenders in the industry, with over $13 billion in agricultural
mortgage loans outstanding.
“MetLife continues to be very active in the agricultural lending
industry,” said Robert Merck, senior managing director and head of
global agricultural investments for MetLife. “Our mortgage
production demonstrates our expertise in providing borrowers with a
reliable and trusted source of financing for the long-term growth
and success of their business. At the same time, with the
transactions we’ve completed this year, we have continued to
further strengthen our high-quality portfolio of agricultural
mortgages.”
“Our commitment to prudent risk management and our long-term
investment approach has allowed us to take advantage of attractive
opportunities in the U.S. and internationally, and we will continue
to focus on top quality agricultural mortgages in 2012," said Dan
O'Neill, managing director and head of MetLife's agricultural
portfolio group. “MetLife's success is a testament to our speed of
execution, our superior customer service, and our ability to do a
variety of transactions, from the simple to the complex.”
Outside the U.S., MetLife grew its agricultural lending
activities and expanded its business platform in Brazil, and will
be opening a regional office in Sao Paulo in the next several
months. In addition, MetLife is actively seeking timber
opportunities in Australia and New Zealand.
Some of MetLife's recent transactions include:
Standlee Hay Company, Inc.
- A multi-million dollar loan secured by
a first mortgage on over 10,000 acres, 10 year fixed rate with 20
year term
- Secured by irrigated crop land in south
central Idaho
- Standlee Hay produces hay and provides
forage processing, storage and distribution services domestically
and internationally
Green Plains Grain Company, LLC
- $30.0 million first mortgage, 10 year
fixed rate
- Secured by grain elevators and storage
facilities in Iowa, Missouri and Tennessee
- Green Plains Grain is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Green Plains Renewable Energy and provides grain
processing and storage services, together with agronomy services,
to area farmers
Hill Enterprises Company
- $8.4 million first mortgage, 15 year
fixed rate
- Secured by irrigated crop in south
central Arkansas
- Hill Enterprises is engaged in the
acquisition and leasing of crop land in the Delta and Corn Belt
regions
Griffin Family Investment Company, et al
- $87.3 million first mortgage, including
a 10 year fixed rate with a 20 year term and a one year rate with a
10 year term
- Secured by irrigated crop land located
in south east and east central Arkansas
- Griffin Family Investment is engaged in
farming, agribusiness services, and non-agricultural businesses in
the mid-South region of the U.S.
“We remain optimistic that 2012 will be another notable year for
agricultural mortgage investments given the strong market
fundamentals in the agricultural sector and our successful 95 year
history of investing in the agriculture industry,” added Merck.
Through its agricultural investments department, MetLife
oversees an agricultural portfolio of over $13 billion which
consists of farm and ranch, food and agribusiness and timberland
mortgages. MetLife has provided agricultural financing solutions
since 1917 and is one of the largest agricultural mortgage lenders
in North America. MetLife has agricultural investments offices in
Fresno, CA., Overland Park, KS, West Des Moines, IA, and
Bloomington, IL, as well as its Timberland Finance Group which is
located in Memphis, TN. For more information, visit
www.metlife.com/ag or for more information on our timber group,
visit www.metlife.com/timber.
MetLife, Inc. is a leading global provider of insurance,
annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90 million
customers in over 50 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 “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,”
“project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe” 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.’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”). These factors include: (1) difficult conditions in the
global capital markets; (2) concerns over U.S. fiscal policy
and the trajectory of the national debt of the U.S., as well as
rating agency downgrades of U.S. Treasury securities; (3)
uncertainty about the effectiveness of governmental and regulatory
actions to stabilize the financial system, the imposition of fees
relating thereto, or the promulgation of additional regulations;
(4) increased volatility and disruption of the capital and credit
markets, which may affect our ability to seek financing or access
our credit facilities; (5) impact of comprehensive financial
services regulation reform on us; (6) economic, political, legal,
currency and other risks relating to our international operations,
including with respect to fluctuations of exchange rates; (7)
exposure to financial and capital market risk, including as a
result of the disruption in Europe and possible withdrawal of one
or more countries from the Euro zone; (8) 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; (9) potential liquidity and other risks resulting
from our participation in a securities lending program and other
transactions; (10) investment losses and defaults, and changes to
investment valuations; (11) impairments of goodwill and realized
losses or market value impairments to illiquid assets; (12)
defaults on our mortgage loans; (13) the defaults or deteriorating
credit of other financial institutions that could adversely affect
us; (14) our ability to address unforeseen liabilities, asset
impairments, or rating actions arising from acquisitions or
dispositions, including our acquisition of American Life Insurance
Company and Delaware American Life Insurance Company (collectively,
“ALICO”) and to successfully integrate and manage the growth of
acquired businesses with minimal disruption; (15) 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; (16) the dilutive impact on our stockholders
resulting from the settlement of common equity units issued in
connection with the acquisition of ALICO or otherwise; (17)
MetLife, Inc.’s primary reliance, as a holding company, on
dividends from its 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
assumptions related to investment valuations, deferred policy
acquisition costs, deferred sales inducements, value of business
acquired or goodwill; (26) changes in accounting standards,
practices and/or policies; (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 “closed block”
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, or
increase the cost or administrative burdens of providing benefits
to employees; (34) 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 our disaster recovery systems, cyber-or other
information security systems and management continuity planning;
(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.’s filings with the SEC.
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 SEC.
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