THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE DATED AS OF DECEMBER 21, 2006 BETWEEN METLIFE, INC., AS ISSUER AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS TRUSTEE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Exhibit 4.45
EXECUTION COPY
THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
DATED AS OF DECEMBER 21, 2006
BETWEEN
METLIFE, INC.,
AS ISSUER
AND
THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
AS TRUSTEE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||
ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS | ||||
Section 1.1 | Definition of Terms | 1 | ||
ARTICLE 2 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES | ||||
Section 2.1 | Designation and Principal Amount | 15 | ||
Section 2.2 | Final Maturity | 15 | ||
Section 2.3 | Form and Payment | 15 | ||
Section 2.4 | Interest | 16 | ||
ARTICLE 3 REDEMPTION OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES/SCHEDULED REDEMPTION | ||||
Section 3.1 | Optional Redemption | 17 | ||
Section 3.2 | Scheduled Redemption | 18 | ||
Section 3.3 | Redemption Procedure for Junior Subordinated Debentures | 20 | ||
Section 3.4 | Payment of Securities Called for Redemption | 21 | ||
Section 3.5 | No Sinking Fund | 21 | ||
ARTICLE 4 OPTIONAL DEFERRAL OF INTEREST AND TRIGGER EVENTS | ||||
Section 4.1 | Optional Deferral of Interest | 21 | ||
Section 4.2 | Notices of Deferral and Trigger Period | 22 | ||
Section 4.3 | Trigger Events | 22 | ||
ARTICLE 5 EVENTS OF DEFAULT | ||||
Section 5.1 | Events of Default | 23 | ||
ARTICLE 6 COVENANTS | ||||
Section 6.1 | Certain Restrictions During Optional Deferral Periods or Following a Trigger Event | 25 | ||
Section 6.2 | Obligation to Effect Certain Sales of Common Stock of the Company; Alternative Payment Mechanism | 27 | ||
Section 6.3 | Payment of Expenses | 29 | ||
Section 6.4 | Payment Upon Resignation or Removal | 30 | ||
ARTICLE 7 SUBORDINATION | ||||
Section 7.1 | Agreement to Subordinate | 30 | ||
Section 7.2 | Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy | 30 |
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Section 7.3 | Default on Senior Indebtedness | 31 | ||
Section 7.4 | When Distribution Must Be Paid Over | 31 | ||
Section 7.5 | Subrogation | 31 | ||
Section 7.6 | Relative Rights | 32 | ||
Section 7.7 | Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness | 32 | ||
Section 7.8 | Subordination May Not Be Impaired | 32 | ||
Section 7.9 | Distribution | 32 | ||
Section 7.10 | Authorization to Effect Subordination | 33 | ||
ARTICLE 8 NOTICE | ||||
Section 8.1 | Notice by the Company | 33 | ||
ARTICLE 9 FORM OF JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURE | ||||
Section 9.1 | Form of Junior Subordinated Debenture | 33 | ||
ARTICLE 10 ORIGINAL ISSUE OF JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES | ||||
Section 10.1 | Original Issue of Junior Subordinated Debentures | 45 | ||
ARTICLE 11 LIMITATION ON CLAIMS | ||||
Section 11.1 | Limitation on Claim for Deferred Interest Due to a Trigger Event in Bankruptcy | 45 | ||
ARTICLE 12 Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance | ||||
ARTICLE 13 MISCELLANEOUS | ||||
Section 13.1 | Ratification of Base Indenture; Conflicts | 46 | ||
Section 13.2 | Junior Subordinated Debentures Unaffected by Other Supplemental Indentures | 46 | ||
Section 13.3 | Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals | 46 | ||
Section 13.4 | Tax Treatment | 46 | ||
Section 13.5 | Governing Law | 46 | ||
Section 13.6 | Separability | 47 | ||
Section 13.7 | Counterparts | 47 | ||
Section 13.8 | Calculation Agent and Premium Calculation Agent | 47 |
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THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of December 21, 2006 (this Third Supplemental Indenture), between MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the Trustee), supplementing the Subordinated Indenture, dated as of June 21, 2005 (the Base Indenture), between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (as successor in interest to J.P. Morgan Trust Company, National Association), as trustee.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company executed and delivered the Base Indenture to the Trustee to provide for the future issuance of the Companys unsecured subordinated debentures, notes or other evidence of indebtedness (the Securities), to be issued from time to time in one or more series as might be determined by the Company under the Base Indenture;
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Base Indenture and this Third Supplemental Indenture (together, the Indenture), the Company desires to provide for the establishment of a new series of its Securities to be known as its 6.40% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2066 (the Junior Subordinated Debentures), the form and substance of such Junior Subordinated Debentures and the terms, provisions and conditions thereof to be set forth herein as provided in the Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this Third Supplemental Indenture; and
WHEREAS, all requirements necessary to make this Third Supplemental Indenture a valid instrument in accordance with its terms, and to make the Junior Subordinated Debentures, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, the valid obligations of the Company, have been done and performed, and the execution and delivery of this Third Supplemental Indenture have been duly authorized in all respects.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase and acceptance of the Junior Subordinated Debentures by the holders thereof, and for the purpose of setting forth, as provided in the Indenture, the form and substance of the Junior Subordinated Debentures and the terms, provisions and conditions thereof, the Company covenants and agrees with the Trustee as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.1 DEFINITION OF TERMS.
Unless the context otherwise requires or unless otherwise set forth herein:
(a) a term not defined herein that is defined in the Base Indenture, as previously supplemented, has the same meaning when used in this Third Supplemental Indenture;
(b) the definition of any term in this Third Supplemental Indenture that is also defined in the Base Indenture, as previously supplemented, shall for the purposes of this Third Supplemental Indenture supersede the definition of such term in the Base Indenture, as previously supplemented;
(c) a term defined anywhere in this Third Supplemental Indenture has the same meaning throughout;
(d) the definition of a term in this Third Supplemental Indenture is not intended to have any effect on the meaning or definition of an identical term that is defined in the Base Indenture, as previously supplemented, insofar as the use or effect of such term in the Base Indenture, as previously defined, is concerned;
(e) the singular includes the plural and vice versa;
(f) headings are for convenience of reference only and do not affect interpretation; and
(g) the following terms have the meanings given to them in this Section 1.1(g):
Acceleration Date has the meaning provided in Section 4.1 hereof.
Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount means, as of any quarter end and subject to certain adjustments, the stockholders equity of the Company as reflected on the Companys consolidated GAAP balance sheet as of such quarter end, minus accumulated other comprehensive income as reflected on such consolidated balance sheet.
Alternative Payment Mechanism has the meaning provided in Section 6.2(a) hereof.
Annual Statement means, as to a U.S. Life Insurance Subsidiary, the annual statement of such U.S. Life Insurance Subsidiary containing its statutory balance sheet and income statement as required to be filed by it with one or more state insurance commissioners or other state insurance regulatory authorities.
Base Indenture has the meaning provided in the preamble hereto.
Benchmark Quarter means, with respect to any completed fiscal quarter, the fiscal quarter that is 10 fiscal quarters prior to such completed fiscal quarter.
Business Day means any day which is not (i) a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday, and (ii) a day on which banking institutions or trust companies located in New York City are authorized or obligated by law to close, and, on or after December 15, 2036, a day which is not a London Banking Day.
Calculation Agent means The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., or any other firm appointed by the Company, acting as Calculation Agent.
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Commercially Reasonable Efforts means commercially reasonable efforts on the part of the Company to complete the offer and sale of shares of the Companys Common Stock to third parties that are not Subsidiaries of the Company in public offerings or private placements, provided that the Company shall be deemed to have made such Commercially Reasonable Efforts during a Market Disruption Event or for so long as the Company is prevented from selling its Common Stock in accordance with the Alternative Payment Mechanism because it does not have Shares Available for Issuance, regardless of whether the Company makes any offers or sales during such Market Disruption Event. The Company will not be considered to have made such Commercially Reasonable Efforts to effect a sale of Common Stock if it determines to not pursue or complete such sale due to pricing, dividend rate or dilution considerations.
Common Stock means shares of common stock of the Company, including treasury shares and shares sold pursuant to the Companys dividend reinvestment plans and employee benefit plans.
Company shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Company Action Level has the meaning specified in the definition of the term Risk-Based Capital Ratio.
Comparable Treasury Issue means the U.S. Treasury security selected by the Premium Calculation Agent as having a maturity comparable to the term remaining from the early Redemption Date to December 15, 2031 (the Remaining Life) that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable term.
Comparable Treasury Price means, with respect to an early Redemption Date (1) the average of five Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest reference treasury dealer quotations, or (2) if the Premium Calculation Agent obtains fewer than five such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such quotations.
Compounded Interest means additional interest on any accrued and unpaid interest to the extent permitted by applicable law at the then applicable interest rate on the Junior Subordinated Debentures.
Covered Insurance Subsidiaries means the Companys largest U.S. Life Insurance Subsidiaries (in terms of general admitted assets) that collectively account for 80% or more of the General Account Admitted Assets of all of the Companys U.S. Life Insurance Subsidiaries.
Current Market Price with respect to the Common Stock on any date means the closing sale price per share (or if no closing sale price is reported, the average of the bid and ask prices or, if more than one in either case, the average of the average bid and the average ask prices) on that date as reported in composite transactions by the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Common Stock is not then listed on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported by the principal U.S. securities exchange on which the Common Stock is traded or quoted. If the
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Common Stock is not either listed or quoted on any U.S. securities exchange on the relevant date, the Current Market Price will be the last quoted bid price for the Common Stock in the over-the-counter market on the relevant date as reported by the National Quotation Bureau or similar organization. If the Common Stock is not so quoted, the Current Market Price will be the average of the mid-point of the last bid and ask prices for the Common Stock on the relevant date from each of at least three nationally recognized independent investment banking firms selected by the Company for this purpose.
Depositary, with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures, means The Depository Trust Company or any successor clearing agency.
Event of Default has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.1 hereof.
Fifth Deferral Anniversary has the meaning provided in Section 6.2(a) hereof.
Final Maturity Date has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2 hereof.
Fixed Rate Period has the meaning provided in Section 2.4 (a) hereof.
Floating Rate Period has the meaning provided in Section 2.4 (b) hereof.
Foregone Interest has the meaning provided in Section 11.1 hereof.
GAAP means, at any date or for any period, U.S. generally accepted accounting principles as in effect on such date or for such period.
General Account Admitted Assets means, as to a U.S. Life Insurance Subsidiary as of any year end, the total admitted assets of such U.S. Life Insurance Subsidiary as reflected on the balance sheet included in its statutory financial statements as of such year end minus the separate account assets reflected on such balance sheet.
Indenture has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.
Interest Payment Date means, during the Fixed Rate Period, each of June 15 and December 15, commencing June 15, 2007 and during the Floating Rate Period, each of March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15, commencing December 15, 2036; provided that, if any such day is not a Business Day, then,
with respect to an Interest Payment Date during the Fixed Rate Period, the Interest Payment Date shall be the immediately succeeding Business Day, and with respect to an Interest Payment Date during the Floating Rate Period, the Interest Payment Date shall be the immediately succeeding Business Day unless such date falls in the next calendar month, in which case the Interest Payment Date will be the immediately preceding Business Day, except that if any of the Interest Payment Dates during the Floating Rate Period falls on a date fixed for redemption or repayment and such day is not a Business Day, the interest payment due on that date will be postponed to the next day that is a Business Day without any interest or other payment in respect of any such delay in connection with such redemption or repayment.
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Interest Payment Period means the period from and including an Interest Payment Date to but not including the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, except for the first Interest Payment Period which shall be the period from and including the date of initial issuance of the Junior Subordinated Debentures (subject to Section 2.1(b) hereof) to but not including June 15, 2007.
Junior Subordinated Debentures has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto. LIBOR Determination Date means the second London Banking Day immediately preceding the first day of the relevant Interest Payment Period.
London Banking Day means any day on which commercial banks are open for general business (including dealings in deposits in U.S. dollars) in London, England.
Make-Whole Redemption Amount means the sum, as calculated by the Premium Calculation Agent, of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal (discounted from December 15, 2031) and interest that would have been payable to and including December 15, 2031 (discounted from their respective Interest Payment Dates) on the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed (not including any portion of such payments of interest accrued to the Redemption Date) to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 35 basis points; plus accrued and unpaid interest, together with any Compounded Interest, on the principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures being redeemed to the Redemption Date.
Market Disruption Event means the occurrence or existence of any of the following events or sets of circumstances:
(i) | trading in securities generally on any national securities exchange or over-the-counter market, on which the Common Stock is then listed or traded (as of the date of this Third Supplemental Indenture, the New York Stock Exchange), is suspended or the settlement of such trading generally is materially disrupted or minimum prices are established on any such exchange or such market by the SEC, by such exchange or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, and the establishment of such minimum prices materially disrupts or otherwise has a material adverse effect on trading in, and the issuance and sale of, the Common Stock; |
(ii) | if the Company were required to obtain the consent or approval of its stockholders, a regulatory body or governmental authority to issue or sell Common Stock pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism or to issue or sell Qualifying Capital Securities pursuant to the Replacement Capital Obligation and, after using its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain such consent or approval, it fails to obtain that consent or approval; |
(iii) | a material disruption or banking moratorium occurs or has been declared in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; |
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(iv) | there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general domestic or international economic, political or financial conditions, including without limitation as a result of terrorist activities, or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States is such, as to make it, in the Companys judgment, impracticable to proceed with the issuance and sale of Common Stock pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism or the issuance and sale of Qualifying Capital Securities pursuant to the Replacement Capital Obligation; |
(v) | an event occurs and is continuing as a result of which the offering document for the offer and sale of Common Stock pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism or the offer and sale of Qualifying Capital Securities pursuant to the Replacement Capital Obligation would, in the Companys reasonable judgment, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and either (1) the disclosure of that event at such time, in the Companys judgment, would have a material adverse effect on its business, or (2) the disclosure relates to a previously undisclosed proposed or pending material business transaction, and the Company has a bona fide reason for keeping the same confidential or its disclosure would impede the Companys ability to consummate such transaction; provided that no single suspension period contemplated by this clause (v) may exceed 90 consecutive days and multiple suspension periods contemplated by this clause (v) may not exceed an aggregate of 180 days in any 360-day period; or |
(vi) | the Company reasonably believes that the offering document for the offer and the sale of the Common Stock pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism or the offer and sale of Qualifying Capital Securities pursuant to the Replacement Capital Obligation would not be in compliance with a rule or regulation of the SEC (for reasons other than those referred to in clause (v)) and the Company is unable to comply with such rule or regulation or such compliance is impracticable; provided that no single suspension period contemplated by this clause (vi) may exceed 90 consecutive days and multiple suspension periods contemplated by this clause (vi) may not exceed an aggregate of 180 days in any 360-day period. |
Maturity Date means the Final Maturity Date and any earlier date on which the Junior Subordinated Debentures become due and payable, whether pursuant to a notice of redemption, acceleration or otherwise and on which the principal shall be due and payable together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, including Compounded Interest.
Model Act means the NAIC Risk-Based Capital (RBC) for Insurers Model Act as included in the NAICs Model Laws, Regulations and Guidelines as of June 15, 2006 and as hereinafter amended, modified or supplemented.
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MoneyLine Telerate Page means the display on Moneyline Telerate, Inc., or any successor service, on Telerate Page 3750 or any replacement page or pages on that service.
Most Recently Completed Quarter means:
(i) | as to an Interest Payment Date on March 31, the quarter ended on the preceding December 31; |
(ii) | as to an Interest Payment Date on June 30, the quarter ended on the preceding March 31; |
(iii) | as to an Interest Payment Date on September 30, the quarter ended on the preceding June 30; and |
(iv) | as to an Interest Payment Date on December 31, the quarter ended on the preceding September 30. |
NAIC means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Notice Date has the meaning provided in Section 3.2(d) hereof.
NRSRO means a nationally recognized statistical rating organization within the meaning of Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Optional Deferral has the meaning provided in Section 4.1 hereof.
Optional Deferral Period has the meaning provided in Section 4.1 hereof.
Optionally Deferred Interest has the meaning provided in Section 4.1 hereof.
Other Covenant Default has the meaning provided in Section 5.1(b) hereof.
Other Covenant Default Notice has the meaning provided in Section 5.1(c) hereof.
Par Redemption Amount means a cash redemption price of 100% of the principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, together with any Compounded Interest, on such Junior Subordinated Debentures to the date of redemption.
Parity Debt Securities has the meaning provided in Section 6.1(b) hereof.
Parity Guarantees has the meaning provided in Section 6.1(c) hereof.
Parity Securities has the meaning provided in Section 6.1(c) hereof.
Premium Calculation Agent means The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., or any other firm appointed by the Company or, if that firm is unwilling or unable to select the Comparable Treasury Issue or calculate the Make-Whole Redemption Amount or Special Event Make-Whole Redemption Amount, an investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Company.
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Primary Treasury Dealer means a primary U.S. government securities dealer in New York City.
QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts means commercially reasonable efforts on the part of the Company to complete the offer and sale of Qualifying Capital Securities to third parties that are not Subsidiaries of the Company in public offerings or private placements, provided that the Company will be deemed to have made such QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts during a Market Disruption Event, regardless of whether the Company makes any offers or sales during such Market Disruption Event. The Company will not be considered to have made such QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts to effect a sale of Qualifying Capital Securities if it determines to not pursue or complete such sale due to pricing, coupon, dividend rate or dilution considerations.
QCS Proceeds Collection Period means, with respect to any Required Repayment Date that is the Scheduled Redemption Date, the period commencing 180 days, and with respect to any subsequent Required Repayment Date, the period commencing 90 days, prior thereto and ending on the Notice Date with respect thereto.
Qualifying APM Securities means: (i) Common Stock; and (ii) Qualifying Warrants.
Qualifying Capital Securities has the meaning given to it in the RCC.
Qualifying Warrants means net share settled warrants to purchase Common Stock that the Company can sell at its sole discretion and that have an exercise price greater than the Current Market Price of the Common Stock as of their date of issuance, that the Company is not entitled to redeem for cash and that the holders of which are not entitled to require the Company to repurchase for cash in any circumstance.
Rating Agency Event means a change by any NRSRO that rates the Junior Subordinated Debentures, in the equity rating criteria for securities such as the Junior Subordinated Debentures as is in effect on the date of this Third Supplemental Indenture, which change results in lower equity credit being given to the Junior Subordinated Debentures than the equity credit that would have been given to the Junior Subordinated Debentures in the absence of such change.
RBC has the meaning provided herein in the definition of Risk Based Capital Ratio.
RCC means the replacement capital covenant the Company has entered into for the benefit of holders of Covered Debt (as defined therein) on December 21, 2006, as amended or supplemented from time to time, a copy of which shall be delivered by the Company to the Trustee on or before the date hereof.
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Reference Treasury Dealer means (1) each of Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Merrill Lynch & Co. and their successors, provided, however, that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a Primary Treasury Dealer the Company will substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer, and (2) any other Primary Treasury Dealers selected by the Premium Calculation Agent after consultation with the Company.
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any early Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the Premium Calculation Agent, of the bid and ask prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Premium Calculation Agent at 5:00
p.m., New York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.
Registered Security means any Security in the form established pursuant to Section 9.1 hereof which is registered as to principal and interest in the Security Register.
Relevant Period has the meaning set forth in the definition of Three-Month LIBOR.
Remaining Life has the meaning set forth in the definition of Comparable Treasury Issue.
Replacement Capital Obligation means the Companys obligations under Section 3.2.
Required Repayment Date has the meaning provided in Section 3.2 (d) hereof.
Risk-Based Capital Ratio means the ratio that insurance companies are required to calculate and report to their regulators as of the end of each year in accordance with prescribed procedures. The ratio measures the relationship of the insurance companies total adjusted capital calculated in accordance with those prescribed procedures, relative to a standard that is determined based on the magnitude of various risks present in the insurers operations. For all Covered Insurance Subsidiaries, calculated on a combined basis, this ratio equals the sum of total adjusted capital amounts for Covered Insurance Subsidiaries divided by the sum of Company Action Level amounts for those same subsidiaries. The NAICs model risk-based capital, or RBC, law sets forth the RBC levels, ranging from the Company Action Level to the mandatory control level, at which certain corrective actions are required and at which a state insurance regulator is authorized and expected to take regulatory action. The highest RBC level is known as the Company Action Level. If an insurance companys Total Adjusted Capital is higher than the Company Action Level, no corrective action is required to be taken. At progressively lower levels of Total Adjusted Capital, an insurance company faces increasingly rigorous levels of corrective action, including the submission of a comprehensive financial plan to the insurance regulator in its state of domicile, a mandatory examination or analysis of the insurers business and operations by the regulator and the issuance of appropriate corrective orders to address the insurance companys financial problems, and, at the lowest levels, either voluntary or mandatory action by the regulator to place the insurer under regulatory control. The Company Action Level
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is twice the level (known as the authorized control level) below which the regulator is authorized (but not yet required) to place the insurance company under regulatory control.
Scheduled Redemption Date has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(a).
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Securities has the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Third Supplemental Indenture.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Senior Indebtedness means principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, and any other amounts payable in respect of (i) all indebtedness of the Company, whether outstanding on the date of the initial issuance of the Junior Subordinated Debentures or thereafter created, incurred or assumed, which is for money borrowed (including, without limitation, trust preferred securities of statutory trusts and related subordinated debentures and guarantees of the Company issued under the Base Indenture), or which is evidenced by a note or similar instrument given in connection with the acquisition of any business, properties or assets, including securities; (ii) all obligations of the Company under leases required or permitted to be capitalized under GAAP; (iii) any indebtedness referred to in clause (i) of other Persons for the payment of which the Company is responsible or liable as guarantor or otherwise; and (iv) amendments, modifications, renewals, extensions, deferrals and refundings of any of the above types of indebtedness; provided, however, that Senior Indebtedness shall not include: (1) indebtedness incurred for the purchase of goods or materials or for services obtained in the ordinary course of business (i.e., trade accounts payable), which will rank equally in right of payment and upon liquidation with the Junior Subordinated Debenture; (2) any indebtedness which by its terms ranks equally with or subordinated to the Junior Subordinated Debentures in right of payment or upon liquidation; (3) indebtedness owed by the Company to its Subsidiaries, which also will rank equally in right of payment and upon liquidation to the Junior Subordinated Debentures; and (4) any liability for Federal, state, local or other taxes owed or owing by the Company or its Subsidiaries. Senior Indebtedness will continue to be Senior Indebtedness and entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions of this Indenture irrespective of any amendment, modification or waiver of any term of the Senior Indebtedness or extension or renewal of the Senior Indebtedness.
Shares Available for Issuance means a number of shares of Common Stock calculated in two steps, as follows:
(i) | first, the Company will deduct from the number of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that can be issued under existing options, warrants, convertible securities, any equity-linked contracts and other agreements which require it to issue a determinable number of shares of Common Stock; and |
(ii) | after the Company deducts the number of shares of Common Stock provided for in clause (i) from the number of the Companys authorized |
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and unissued shares of Common Stock, the Company will allocate on a pro rata basis or such other basis as it determines is appropriate, the remaining authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock to the Alternative Payment Mechanism and to any other similar commitment that is of an indeterminate nature and under which the Company is then required to issue shares of Common Stock; |
provided, that by acceptance of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, each holder of Junior Subordinated Debentures expressly agrees that the Company may modify the foregoing definition of Shares Available for Issuance and the related provisions of this Third Supplemental Indenture without the consent of holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, provided that (i) the Company has determined, in good faith, that such modification is not materially adverse to such holders, (ii) the rating agencies then rating the Junior Subordinated Debentures confirm the then current ratings of the Junior Subordinated Debentures and (iii) the number of Shares Available for Issuance after giving effect to such modification will not fall below the then applicable threshold set forth in Section 6.2(c) hereof.
For the avoidance of doubt, if the number of authorized shares of Common Stock remaining after the two steps described above is not sufficient to satisfy the Companys remaining commitments, the Company will have no obligation, other than its obligation to use commercially reasonable efforts as provided for in Section 6.2(c), to seek shareholder consent to increase the number of authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock.
Special Event Make-Whole Redemption Amount means the sum, as calculated by the Premium Calculation Agent, of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal (discounted from December 15, 2031) and interest that would have been payable to and including December 15, 2031 (discounted from their respective Interest Payment Dates) on the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed (not including any portion of such payments of interest accrued to the Redemption Date) to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 50 basis points; plus accrued and unpaid interest, together with any Compounded Interest, on the principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures being redeemed to the Redemption Date.
Tax Event means with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures the receipt by the Company of an opinion of counsel, rendered by a law firm with experience in such matters, to the effect that, as a result of (a) any amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in, the laws (or any regulations thereunder) of the United States or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, (b) any official administrative pronouncement (including a private letter ruling, technical advice memorandum or similar pronouncement) or judicial decision interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, or (c) a threatened challenge asserted in connection with an audit of the Company or any of the Companys subsidiaries, or a threatened challenge asserted in writing against any other taxpayer that has raised capital through the issuance of securities that are substantially similar to the Junior Subordinated Debentures, which amendment or change is enacted or effective or which pronouncement or decision is announced or which challenge becomes publicly known on or after the date of initial issuance of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, there is more than an insubstantial increase in the risk that interest accruing or payable by the Company on the Junior
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Subordinated Debentures is not or, at any time subsequent to the Companys receipt of such opinion, will not be, wholly deductible by the Company for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.
Telerate Page 3750 means the display designated on page 3750 on MoneyLine Telerate Page (or such other page as may replace the 3750 page on the service or such other service as may be nominated by the British Bankers Association for the purpose of displaying London interbank offered rates for U.S. Dollar deposits).
Third Supplemental Indenture has the meaning provided in the preamble hereto.
Three-Month LIBOR means, with respect to any Interest Payment Period, the rate (expressed as a percentage per annum) for deposits in U.S. dollars for a three-month period commencing on the first day of that Interest Payment Period and ending on the next Interest Payment Date (the Relevant Period) that appears on MoneyLine Telerate Page 3750 as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the LIBOR Determination Date for that Interest Payment Period. If such rate does not appear on MoneyLine Telerate Page 3750, LIBOR will be determined on the basis of the rates at which deposits in U.S. dollars for the Relevant Period and in a principal amount of not less than $1,000,000 are offered to prime banks in the London interbank market by four major banks in the London interbank market selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company), at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time on the LIBOR Determination Date for that Interest Payment Period. The Calculation Agent will request the principal London office of each such bank to provide a quotation of its rate. If at least two such quotations are provided, Three-Month LIBOR with respect to that Interest Payment Period will be the arithmetic mean (rounded upward if necessary to the nearest whole multiple of 0.00001%) of such quotations. If fewer than two quotations are provided, Three-Month LIBOR with respect to that Interest Payment Period will be the arithmetic mean (rounded upward if necessary to the nearest whole multiple of 0.00001%) of the rates quoted by three major banks in New York City selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company), at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first day of that Interest Payment Period for loans in U.S. dollars to leading European banks for the Relevant Period and in a principal amount of not less than $1,000,000. However, if fewer than three banks selected by the Calculation Agent to provide quotations are quoting as described above, Three-Month LIBOR for that Interest Payment Period will be the same as LIBOR as determined for the previous Interest Payment Period or, in the case of the Interest Payment Period beginning on December 15, 2036, 4.195%. The establishment of Three-Month LIBOR for each Interest Payment Period beginning on or after December 15, 2036 by the Calculation Agent shall (in the absence of manifest error) be final and binding.
Total Adjusted Capital has the meaning specified in subsection M of Section 1 (or the relevant successor section, if any) of the Model Act.
Trailing Four Quarters Consolidated Net Income Amount means, for any fiscal quarter, the sum of the Companys consolidated GAAP net income for the four fiscal quarters ending as of the last day of such fiscal quarter.
Treasury Rate means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield, under the heading that represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most
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recently published statistical release designated H.15(519) or any successor publication that is published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and that establishes yields on actively traded U.S. Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption Treasury Constant Maturities, for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity is within three months before or after the Remaining Life), yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue will be determined and the Treasury Rate will be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on a straight line basis, rounding to the nearest month); or if such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date. The Treasury Rate will be
calculated on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.
Trigger Event will have occurred if one of the following conditions exists as of the date which is 30 days prior to any Interest Payment Date:
(i) | the Covered Insurance Subsidiaries Risk-Based Capital Ratio is less than 175% of the Company Action Level for the Covered Insurance Subsidiaries, in the case of each Covered Insurance Subsidiary based on the most recent annual financial statements for the year ended prior to such Interest Payment Date for which such Covered Insurance Subsidiary has filed its Annual Statement with the applicable state insurance commissioners; or |
(ii) | (x) the Trailing Four Quarters Consolidated Net Income Amount, for the period ending on the last day of the quarter that is two quarters prior to the Most Recently Completed Quarter is zero or a negative amount, and (y) the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount, as of the last day of the Most Recently Completed Quarter and as of the end of the quarter that is two quarters before the Most Recently Completed Quarter, has declined by 10% or more as compared to the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount at the end of the Benchmark Quarter; |
provided, however, that
(A) | if, because of a change in GAAP that results in a cumulative effect of a change in an accounting principle or a restatement, either (i) the Companys consolidated net income is higher or lower than it would have been absent such change, then, for purposes of making the calculations described in clause (ii)(x) above, commencing with the fiscal quarter for which such change in GAAP becomes effective, such consolidated net income will be calculated on a pro forma basis as if such change had not occurred; or (ii) the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount as of a quarter end is higher or lower than it would have been absent such change, then, for purposes of making the calculations described in clause (ii)(y) above, the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount will be calculated on a pro forma basis as if such change had not occurred; and |
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(B) | if, after the end of the Benchmark Quarter for an Interest Payment Date and before the end of the next quarter, the Company issues a material amount of equity securities to fund an acquisition of a business or assets, with the consequence that the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount as of the end of subsequent quarters is higher than otherwise would have been the case, then for purposes of making the calculation described in clause (ii)(y) above, commencing with the quarter end after such issuance of a material amount of equity securities, the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount will be calculated on a pro forma basis without giving effect to the issuance of such material amount of equity securities until the later of (x) the first quarter end that is more than ten quarters after the end of the Benchmark Quarter and (y) if a Trigger Event occurs before the quarter end determined pursuant to clause (x), the first quarter end as of which a Trigger Period is no longer continuing. For purposes of this clause, a material amount of equity securities means equity securities that result in an increase in the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount equal to or exceeding the greater of (i) 1.5% of the Companys stockholders equity as of the end of the relevant Benchmark Quarter and (ii) $100 million, in each case calculated without giving effect to this paragraph. |
Trigger Period means a period commencing upon the occurrence of a Trigger Event and continuing until the Company is able again to satisfy both tests set forth in the definition of Trigger Event. In addition, in the case of a Trigger Event described in clause (ii) of the definition of Trigger Event, the Trigger Period will continue until the Company is able again to satisfy the two tests in clauses (i) and (ii) of the definition of Trigger Event for an Interest Payment Date and the Companys Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount has increased, or has declined by less than 10%, in either case as compared to the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount at the end of the Benchmark Quarter for each Interest Payment Date as to which a Trigger Event had occurred under clause (ii) of the definition of Trigger Event.
Trustee has the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
U.S. Life Insurance Subsidiary means any of the Companys Subsidiaries that is organized under the laws of any state in the United States and is licensed as a life insurance company in any state in the United States but does not include any Subsidiary of a U.S. Life Insurance Subsidiary.
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ARTICLE 2
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED
DEBENTURES
SECTION 2.1 DESIGNATION AND PRINCIPAL AMOUNT.
(a) There is hereby authorized a series of Securities designated the 6.40% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2066, limited in aggregate principal amount to not more than $1,250,000,000 (subject to Section 2.1(b) hereof), which amount to be issued shall be as set forth in any written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of Junior Subordinated Debentures pursuant to the Indenture.
(b) The Company may, from time to time, subject to compliance with any other applicable provisions of this Third Supplemental Indenture but without the consent of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, create and issue pursuant to this Third Supplemental Indenture an unlimited principal amount of additional Junior Subordinated Debentures (in excess of any amounts theretofore issued) having the same terms and conditions as those of the other Outstanding Junior Subordinated Debentures, except that any such additional Junior Subordinated Debentures (i) must be issued on an Interest Payment Date and (ii) may have a different issue date and issue price from other Outstanding Junior Subordinated Debentures. Such additional Junior Subordinated Debentures shall constitute part of the same series of Junior Subordinated Debentures hereunder, unless any such adjustment pursuant to this Section 2.1(b) shall cause such additional Junior Subordinated Debentures to constitute, as determined pursuant to an Opinion of Counsel, a different class of securities than the original series of Securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
SECTION 2.2 FINAL MATURITY.
The final maturity date shall be December 15, 2066 (the Final Maturity Date). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in the event that the Final Maturity Date is not a Business Day, then the Final Maturity Date will be the next succeeding day which is a Business Day.
SECTION 2.3 FORM AND PAYMENT.
Except as provided in Section 2.4 hereof, the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall be issued in fully registered certificated form without interest coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof, bearing identical terms. The Depository Trust Company shall serve as the initial Depositary for the Junior Subordinated Debentures. Principal and interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures issued in certificated form will be payable, the transfer of such Junior Subordinated Debentures will be registrable and such Junior Subordinated Debentures will be exchangeable for Junior Subordinated Debentures bearing identical terms and provisions at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee; provided, however, that payment of interest may be made at the option of the Company (with the consent of the Trustee) by check mailed to the holder of a Junior Subordinated Debenture at such address as shall appear in the Security Register; provided further, that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.3, for so long as the Depositary is the holder of all of the Outstanding Junior
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Subordinated Debentures, and provided that the Depositary has provided wire transfer instructions to the Company or the Paying Agent in a timely manner prior to each Interest Payment Date (which it may do by standing instructions) designating an account of the Depositary or its nominee at a commercial bank in the United States to which it wishes payments of interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be made, the Company shall pay interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures by wire transfer of federal (same day) funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee in accordance with such wire transfer instructions.
SECTION 2.4 INTEREST.
(a) From the date of initial issuance to but excluding December 15, 2036 or earlier redemption, as applicable (the Fixed Rate Period) the Junior Subordinated Debentures will bear interest at an annual rate equal to 6.40%, payable semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing on June 15, 2007.
(b) Solely in the event that the Junior Subordinated Debentures are not repaid or otherwise redeemed on or before the Scheduled Redemption Date, from and including December 15, 2036 to but excluding December 15, 2066 or earlier Maturity Date (the Floating Rate Period), the Junior Subordinated Debentures will bear interest at an annual rate equal to Three-Month LIBOR plus a margin equal to 2.205%, payable quarterly in arrears on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year.
(c) Interest payments shall include accrued interest from and including the later of the issue date and the last date in respect of which interest has been paid or duly provided for to, but not including, the next succeeding Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date, as the case may be. The amount of interest payable for any full Interest Payment Period during the Fixed Rate Period shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and during the Floating Rate Period on the basis of a 360-day year and the actual number of days elapsed, and the amount of interest payable for any period shorter than a full Interest Payment Period for which interest is computed will be computed on the basis of 30-day months and, for periods of less than a 30-day month, the actual number of days elapsed per 30-day month.
(d) Otherwise than in connection with the maturity or early redemption of the Junior Subordinated Debentures or the payment in whole or in part of deferred or overdue interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures, interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures may be paid only on an Interest Payment Date. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in the event that any Interest Payment Date is not a Business Day, then payment of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date shall be made, (i) with respect to any Interest Payment Date during the Fixed Rate Period, on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day without any interest or other payment in respect of any such delay and (ii) with respect to any Interest Payment Date during the Floating Rate Period, on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day, unless such date falls in the next calendar month, in which case on the immediately preceding day which is a Business Day, except that if any of the Interest Payment Dates during the Floating Rate Period falls on a date fixed for redemption or repayment, and such day is not a Business Day, the interest payment due on that date will be postponed to the next day that is a Business Day without any interest or other payment in respect of any such delay in connection with such redemption or repayment.
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(e) To the extent permitted by applicable law, interest not paid when due hereunder, including, without limitation, all Optionally Deferred Interest, will accrue and compound on each Interest Payment Date at the then applicable interest rate on the Junior Subordinated Debentures on each Interest Payment Date until paid. References to the term interest in this Indenture shall include such Compounded Interest.
(f) For so long as the Junior Subordinated Debentures are represented by one or more Global Securities, interest in respect of each Junior Subordinated Debenture will be payable, on each Interest Payment Date to the Person in whose name the Junior Subordinated Debentures are registered at the close of business on the Business Day next preceding the Interest Payment Date, which shall be the record date for such Interest Payment Date. In the event the Junior Subordinated Debentures at any time are not represented solely by one or more Global Securities, the Company may select (with written notice thereof to be sent to the Trustee) a different record date, which shall be at least one Business Day before an Interest Payment Date. Any such interest installment not punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures on such record date, and may be paid to the Person in whose name the Junior Subordinated Debentures (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a special record date to be fixed by the Trustee for the payment of such defaulted interest after the Company has deposited with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such defaulted interest, notice whereof shall be given to the registered holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures not less than 10 days prior to such special record date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Junior Subordinated Debentures may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange.
ARTICLE 3
REDEMPTION OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES/SCHEDULED REDEMPTION
Article III of the Base Indenture shall be superseded in its entirety by this Article 3 with respect to, and solely for the benefit of the holders of, the Junior Subordinated Debentures, provided that this Article 3 shall not become a part of the terms of any other series of Securities.
SECTION 3.1 OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.
(a) The Company shall have the right to redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures at its option:
(i) in whole or in part, at any time, on or after December 15, 2031, at a cash redemption price equal to the Par Redemption Amount; provided that if the Junior Subordinated Debentures are not redeemed in whole pursuant to this clause (i), at least $50 million aggregate principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures (excluding any Junior Subordinated Debentures held by the Company or any of its Affiliates) must remain outstanding after giving effect to such redemption;
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(ii) in whole or in part, at any time prior to December 15, 2031, in cases not involving a Tax Event or Rating Agency Event, at a cash redemption price equal to the greater of (x) the Par Redemption Amount and (y) the Make-Whole Redemption Amount; provided that if the Junior Subordinated Debentures are not redeemed in whole pursuant to this clause (ii), at least $50 million aggregate principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures (excluding any Junior Subordinated Debentures held by the Company or any of its Affiliates) must remain outstanding after giving effect to such redemption; and
(iii) in whole, but not in part, at any time prior to December 15, 2031, within 180 days after the occurrence of a Tax Event or a Rating Agency Event, at a cash redemption price equal to the greater of (x) the Par Redemption Amount and (y) the Special Event Make-Whole Redemption Amount.
(b) With respect to any redemption of Junior Subordinated Debentures as a result of a Tax Event or a Rating Agency Event, the date fixed for such redemption will be within 180 days following the occurrence of such Tax Event or Rating Agency Event, as applicable; provided, however, that if at that time the Company is able to eliminate, within the 180-day period, the Tax Event or the Rating Agency Event by taking some ministerial action (such as making an election or filing a form) that has no adverse effect on the Company or the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Company shall pursue such action in lieu of redemption. The Company will have no right or obligation to redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures while pursuing such measure.
SECTION 3.2 SCHEDULED REDEMPTION.
(a) Subject to the limitations contained in this Section 3.2, the Company shall repay the principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, together with accrued and unpaid interest, on December 15, 2036 (the Scheduled Redemption Date);
(b) The Company shall repay the Junior Subordinated Debentures on the Scheduled Redemption Date only to the extent that the Company has raised sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period from the issuance of Qualifying Capital Securities;
(c) The Company will use QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts, subject to the Companys right to otherwise redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures pursuant to Section 3.1(a) hereof, to raise sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period from the issuance of Qualifying Capital Securities to permit repayment of the Junior Subordinated Debentures in full on the Scheduled Redemption Date. If the Company has not raised sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period to permit repayment of all principal and accrued and unpaid interest, including any Compounded Interest, on the Junior Subordinated Debentures on the Scheduled Redemption Date, the Company shall continue to use QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts, subject to the Companys right to otherwise redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures pursuant to Section 3.1(a) hereof, to raise sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period from the issuance of Qualifying Capital Securities to permit repayment of the Junior Subordinated Debentures on the next Interest Payment Date, and on each Interest Payment Date thereafter, until the Junior Subordinated Debentures are paid in full;
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(d) The Company shall not be required to redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures on the Scheduled Redemption Date or any Interest Payment Date following the Scheduled Redemption Date (and prior to the Final Maturity Date), as the case may be (each a Required Repayment Date), to the extent it provides written certification to the Trustee (which the Trustee will promptly forward upon receipt to each holder of record of Junior Subordinated Debentures) not less than 15 and no more than 30 days prior to such Required Repayment Date (the Notice Date) certifying that either:
(1) | a Market Disruption Event was existing and continued during the entire applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period, or |
(2) | the Company was unable after using QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts to raise sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period to permit repayment of the Junior Subordinated Debentures in full on the applicable Required Repayment Date; |
(e) Net proceeds from the sale of Qualifying Capital Securities received during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period that the Company is permitted to apply to the repayment of Junior Subordinated Debentures on or after the Scheduled Redemption Date will be applied:
(1) | first, to pay interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures that the Company is not paying from other sources (other than interest required to be paid pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism) and, |
(2) | second, to repay the principal of Junior Subordinated Debentures; provided that if the Company raises less than $5 million of net proceeds from the sale of Qualifying Capital Securities during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period, it will not be required to repay any Junior Subordinated Debentures on the Scheduled Redemption Date or the applicable Required Payment Date, but will use those net proceeds to repay the Junior Subordinated Debentures on the next Required Payment Date as of which it has raised at least $5 million of net proceeds; |
(f) If, as of any Required Payment Date, the Company is obligated to use QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts to sell Qualifying Capital Securities and apply the net proceeds to payments of principal of or interest on any outstanding Parity Debt Securities in addition to the Junior Subordinated Debentures, then on any date and for any period the amount of net proceeds received by the Company from those sales and available for such payments shall be applied to the Junior Subordinated
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Debentures and such Parity Debt Securities having the same scheduled repayment date or scheduled redemption date as the Junior Subordinated Debentures pro rata in accordance with their respective outstanding principal amounts and none of such net proceeds shall be applied to any other securities having a later scheduled repayment date or scheduled redemption date until the principal of and all accrued and unpaid interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures has been paid in full;
(g) The Company shall not, without written notice to the Trustee and the consent of a majority in principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, amend the RCC to impose additional restrictions on the type or amount of Qualifying Capital Securities that the Company may include for purposes of determining when repayment, redemption or repurchase of the Junior Subordinated Debentures is permitted; and
(h) The Replacement Capital Obligation shall continue to apply until (i) the Company has redeemed the Junior Subordinated Debentures in full in accordance with the Replacement Capital Obligation, (ii) the Junior Subordinated Debentures are otherwise paid in full on the Final Maturity Date, or (iii) upon the occurrence of an Event of Default resulting in acceleration of the Junior Subordinated Debentures.
SECTION 3.3 REDEMPTION PROCEDURE FOR JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES.
The Company shall mail, or cause the Trustee to mail, notice of every redemption of Junior Subordinated Debentures by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed at such holders respective last addresses appearing on the Security Register. Any redemption pursuant to this Article 3 shall be made upon no less than 15 and no more than 30 days notice before the date fixed for redemption to the registered holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures. If the Junior Subordinated Debentures are to be redeemed in part pursuant to Section 3.1 or 3.2 hereof, (a) the Company shall give the Trustee no less than 15 and no more than 30 days notice in advance of the date fixed for redemption and (b) the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall be redeemed pro rata or by lot or by any other method utilized by the Trustee that the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate in its discretion. Any notice mailed as provided in this Section 3.3 shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the holder of the Junior Subordinated Debentures receives such notice, but failure duly to give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice or in the mailing thereof, to any holder of the Junior Subordinated Debentures designated for redemption shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Junior Subordinated Debentures. Each such notice given to such a holder shall state: (i) the Redemption Date; (ii) the redemption price; (iii) that the Junior Subordinated Debentures are being redeemed pursuant to the Indenture or the terms of the Junior Subordinated Debentures together with the facts permitting such redemption; (iv) if less than all Outstanding Junior Subordinated Debentures are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the particular Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed; (v) the place or places where the Junior Subordinated Debentures are to be redeemed; and (vi) that interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed will cease to accrue on the Redemption Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Junior Subordinated Debentures are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any other similar facility, notice of redemption may be given to the holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures at such time and in any manner permitted by such facility. The redemption price shall be paid prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of such
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redemption or at such earlier time on such date as the Company determines and specifies in the notice of redemption. The Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent an amount of money sufficient to pay the redemption price of such Junior Subordinated Debentures or any portion thereof which are to be redeemed on Redemption Date.
SECTION 3.4 PAYMENT OF SECURITIES CALLED FOR REDEMPTION.
If any notice of redemption has been given as provided in Section 3.3 hereof, the Junior Subordinated Debentures or portion of the Junior Subordinated Debentures with respect to which such notice has been given shall become due and payable on the date and at the place or places stated in such notice at the applicable redemption price. From and after such date, the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed shall cease to bear interest. If any Junior Subordinated Debentures called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the redemption price shall, until paid, bear interest from the date set for redemption until the date redemption actually occurs at the then applicable interest rate on the Junior Subordinated Debentures. On presentation and surrender of certificates representing such Junior Subordinated Debentures at a place of payment in said notice specified, the said Junior Subordinated Debentures or the specified portions thereof shall be paid and redeemed by the Company at the applicable redemption price. Upon presentation of certificates representing Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new certificate or certificates representing Junior Subordinated Debentures, of authorized denominations, in aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Junior Subordinated Debentures represented by the certificate(s) so presented and having the same original issue date, Final Maturity Date and terms. If a Global Security is so surrendered, such new Junior Subordinated Debentures will also be a new Global Security.
SECTION 3.5 NO SINKING FUND.
The Junior Subordinated Debentures shall not be entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund.
ARTICLE 4
OPTIONAL DEFERRAL OF INTEREST AND TRIGGER EVENTS
SECTION 4.1 OPTIONAL DEFERRAL OF INTEREST.
So long as (i) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and (ii) no Trigger Event has occurred and the related Trigger Period is continuing, the Company may elect to defer one or more payments of interest on such Junior Subordinated Debentures (an Optional Deferral and any such deferred interest, Optionally Deferred Interest) at any time during the term of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, and from time to time, for up to ten years (which may include a combination of semi-annual and quarterly Interest Payment Periods) without giving rise to an Event of Default and acceleration under the terms of the Indenture, provided, however, that (notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein) the Company may not defer any payment of interest past the Maturity Date and no Optional Deferral Period (as defined below) may end on a date other than on an Interest Payment Date. During any Optional Deferral and for
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so long as any Optionally Deferred Interest remains outstanding (an Optional Deferral Period), the Company may pay Optionally Deferred Interest that was deferred through the Fifth Deferral Anniversary out of any source of funds. Optionally Deferred Interest will continue to accrue and compound on each Interest Payment Date, to the extent permitted by applicable law, at the then applicable interest rate on the Junior Subordinated Debentures. If Optional Deferral has continued beyond the Fifth Deferral Anniversary, then the provisions of Section 6.2 hereof will apply, and the Company (except on the Final Maturity Date or upon an acceleration of the Junior Subordinated Debentures following an Event of Default (an Acceleration Date) with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures) must make Commercially Reasonable Efforts to sell Common Stock (unless such interest has been (or is being) paid from the proceeds of Qualifying Warrants) to satisfy its obligation to pay Optionally Deferred Interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures and may pay such Optionally Deferred Interest only out of the net proceeds from the sale of Qualifying APM Securities. Additionally, during any Optional Deferral Period, the restrictions on payment by the Company of dividends and other distributions on capital stock pursuant to Section 6.1 hereof will apply. Subject to the proviso in the first sentence of this Section 4.1, there is no limit on the number of Optional Deferral Periods that the Company may begin.
SECTION 4.2 NOTICES OF DEFERRAL AND TRIGGER PERIOD.
(a) The Company shall provide a written notice of any Optional Deferral to the Trustee and the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures no more than 30 and no fewer than 15 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date. Subject to Section 4.2(b) hereof, a notice of Optional Deferral, once given, shall be irrevocable and the deferral of payments on the related Interest Payment Date shall be considered an Optional Deferral, unless a Trigger Event has occurred as of the 30th day prior to such Interest Payment Date.
(b) Not earlier than the 30th nor later than the 15th day prior to each Interest Payment Date during a Trigger Period, the Company shall give written notice of the continuance of such Trigger Period to the Trustee and holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures. Such notice shall, depending on which condition is relied upon in determining that a Trigger Event has occurred, set forth either (x) the Covered Insurance Subsidiaries Risk-Based Capital Ratio or (y) the Trailing Four Quarters Consolidated Net Income Amount and the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount, as applicable, and the extent to which these amounts must increase in order for payments of interest from sources other than the Alternative Payment Mechanism to resume.
SECTION 4.3 TRIGGER EVENTS.
(a) (i) If and to the extent that a Trigger Event has occurred and the Trigger Period caused thereby is continuing as of the 30th day prior to an Interest Payment Date, and regardless of any notice of Optional Deferral that has been previously delivered, the Company may pay interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures (other than any interest that had accrued during an Optional Deferral Period through the Fifth Deferral Anniversary thereof and prior to the occurrence of a Trigger Event which may continue to be deferred to the extent provided herein or be paid out of any source of funds) only to the extent that such interest is paid through the Alternative Payment Mechanism. Any interest that is accrued and unpaid during a Trigger
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Period will continue to accrue and compound on each Interest Payment Date, to the extent permitted by applicable law, at the then applicable interest rate on the Junior Subordinated Debentures.
(ii) If a Trigger Event occurs after commencement of an Optional Deferral Period, the Optional Deferral Period shall be deemed suspended for as long as the related Trigger Period is continuing. Once the Trigger Period is no longer continuing, the Optional Deferral Period shall resume subject to the limitations and consequences described herein, and any accrued time during the Optional Deferral Period prior to such suspension shall be counted toward the five year limitation set forth in Section 6.2 hereof.
(b) In the event that a Trigger Period is no longer continuing and at the termination of the Trigger Period there is no unpaid interest from an Optional Deferral Period that had continued beyond the Fifth Deferral Anniversary, the Company may pay subsequent interest in cash from any source of funds. However, any unpaid interest that accrued during the continuance of a Trigger Period or an Optional Deferral Period that continued beyond the Fifth Deferral Anniversary may only be satisfied in accordance with the provisions of the Alternative Payment Mechanism, except that on the Final Maturity Date and on the Acceleration Date of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Company may pay any accrued and unpaid interest without regard to the source of funds. Any accrued and unpaid interest will in all events be due and payable upon the Maturity Date or redemption of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, except for Foregone Interest (if any).
ARTICLE 5
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
SECTION 5.1 EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
(a) The term Event of Default, in the Indenture shall mean with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures only, the occurrence and continuation of any one or more of the following events and shall not have any other meanings ascribed to such term in the Base Indenture or any other indenture supplementing the Indenture:
(i) | default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, on the Junior Subordinated Debentures when due; |
(ii) | the failure to pay interest (including Compounded Interest) in full, whether due to an Optional Deferral, during a Trigger Period or otherwise, after the conclusion of a period of 10 consecutive years following the commencement of any Optional Deferral Period or Trigger Period or on the Final Maturity Date; |
(iii) | the entry by a court of competent jurisdiction of: |
(1) | a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary proceeding under any applicable Bankruptcy Law and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; |
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(2) | a decree or order adjudging the Company to be insolvent, or approving a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of the Company and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or |
(3) | a final and non-appealable order appointing a Custodian of the Company or of any substantial part of the property of the Company or ordering the winding up or liquidation of the affairs of the Company; or |
(iv) | the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law: (A) commences a voluntary case or proceeding; (B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case or proceeding; (C) files a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief or consents to such filing or to the appointment of or taking possession by a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property, and such Custodian is not discharged within 60 days; (D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or (E) admits in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due. |
(b) For the avoidance of doubt, (i) Events of Default with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures do not include failure to comply with or breach of the Companys other covenants set forth in Article 6 hereof with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures (each, an Other Covenant Default), including the covenant to sell Common Stock pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism to meet certain interest payment obligations and (ii) the occurrence and continuation of the events described in Section 5.1(a)(i) or (ii) shall constitute an Event of Default, even if any such event has occurred and is continuing because of the provisions of Section 7 hereof.
(c) Holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures may not themselves institute a proceeding against the Company on account of an Other Covenant Default unless, among other things, the Trustee fails to institute such a proceeding, subject to the terms hereof. However, the holders of a majority in principal amount of Junior Subordinated Debentures may direct the Trustee to bring such a proceeding if an Other Covenant Default continues for a period of 90 days after delivery of written notice to the Company from the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee from the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures (each, an Other Covenant Default Notice), subject to the terms hereof. The Trustee shall not be required to take any action in case of an Other Covenant Default (other than to give notice of such default to the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures) unless so directed by the holders.
(d) Subject to the provisions of Section 5.1(c) hereof as to Other Covenant Defaults, the provisions of Section 6.04 of the Base Indenture shall apply with respect to limitations on suits, proceedings and remedies.
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(e) Within 90 days after an Event of Default, the Trustee shall give to the holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures notice of all uncured and unwaived defaults by the Company known to it; provided, however, that the failure of the Trustee to give such notice shall not be deemed to be a breach by the Trustee hereunder. However, except in the case of default in payment of interest, the Trustee may withhold such notice if it determines that such withholding is in the interest of such holders.
ARTICLE 6
COVENANTS
Article IV of the Base Indenture is hereby supplemented with respect to, and solely for the benefit of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures by, the following additional covenants of the Company; provided that the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall also benefit from the other covenants in Article IV of the Base Indenture:
SECTION 6.1 CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS DURING OPTIONAL DEFERRAL PERIODS OR FOLLOWING A TRIGGER EVENT.
On any date on which accrued interest through the most recent Interest Payment Date has not been paid in full, whether because of an Optional Deferral or a Trigger Event, the Company, subject to certain exceptions set forth below will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to:
(a) | declare or pay any dividends on, make any distribution with respect to, or redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any shares of its capital stock, other than: |
(i) | any purchase, redemption or other acquisition of shares of capital stock of the Company in connection with (x) any employment contract, employee or benefit plan or other similar arrangement, (y) a dividend reinvestment or stockholder purchase plan, or (z) the issuance of capital stock of the Company, or securities convertible into or exercisable for such capital stock, as consideration in an acquisition transaction entered into prior to the applicable Optional Deferral or Trigger Event, as the case may be; |
(ii) | any exchange, redemption or conversion of any class or series of capital stock of the Company, or the capital stock of one of the Companys Subsidiaries, for any other class or series of capital stock of the Company, or of any class or series of the Companys indebtedness for any class or series of capital stock of the Company; |
(iii) | any purchase of, or payment of cash in lieu of, fractional interests in shares of capital stock of the Company pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such capital stock or the securities being converted or exchanged; |
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(iv) | any declaration of a dividend in connection with any rights plan, or the issuance of rights, stock or other property under any rights plan, or the redemption or repurchase of rights pursuant thereto; or |
(v) | any dividend in the form of stock, warrants, options or other rights where the dividend stock or stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants, options or other rights is the same stock as that on which the dividend is being paid or ranks equal with or junior to such stock; |
(b) make any payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on, or repay, repurchase or redeem, any debt securities issued by the Company that rank equally with or junior to the Junior Subordinated Debentures, other than any payment, repurchase or redemption in respect of debt securities that rank equally with the Junior Subordinated Debentures (Parity Debt Securities) made ratably and in proportion to the respective amount of (1) accrued and unpaid amounts on such Parity Debt Securities, on the one hand, and (2) accrued and unpaid amounts on the Junior Subordinated Debentures, on the other hand; or
(c) make any guarantee payments with respect to Parity Debt Securities, if such guarantee ranks equally with or junior to the Junior Subordinated Debentures, other than any payment in respect of guarantees that rank equally with the Junior Subordinated Debentures (Parity Guarantees and, together with the Parity Debt Securities, the Parity Securities) made ratably and in proportion to the respective amount of (1) accrued and unpaid amounts on such Parity Guarantees, on the one hand, and (2) accrued and unpaid amounts on the Junior Subordinated Debentures, on the other hand; it being understood, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Company shall be permitted to make any guarantee payments pursuant to its
(1) | Guarantee Agreement, dated as of June 21, 2005, with respect to the 4.82% trust preferred securities issued by MetLife Capital Trust II; |
(2) | Guarantee Agreement, dated as of June 21, 2005, with respect to the 4.91% trust preferred securities issued by MetLife Capital Trust III; |
(3) | Common Securities Guarantee Agreement, dated as of June 21, 2005, with respect to the common securities issued by MetLife Capital Trust II; and |
(4) | Common Securities Guarantee Agreement, dated as of June 21, 2005, with respect to the common securities issued by MetLife Capital Trust III. |
The restrictions contained in this Section 6.1 shall not apply to:
(1) | any payment of current interest in respect of Parity Securities that is made pro rata to the amounts due on such Parity Securities (including the Junior Subordinated Debentures) and any payments of deferred interest on Parity Securities that, if not made, would |
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cause the Company to breach the terms of the instrument governing such Parity Securities; provided that such payments are made in accordance with Section 6.2(f) to the extent it applies; |
(2) | any payment of principal in respect of Parity Securities having the same scheduled redemption date as the Junior Subordinated Debentures, as required under a provision of such Parity Securities that is substantially the same as the provision of Section 3.2 hereof and that is made on a pro rata basis among one or more series of Parity Securities having such a provision and the Junior Subordinated Debentures; or |
(3) | any purchase or acquisition of the Companys Capital Stock by any of the Companys separate accounts. |
SECTION 6.2 OBLIGATION TO EFFECT CERTAIN SALES OF COMMON STOCK OF THE COMPANY; ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT MECHANISM.
(a) Subject to certain conditions and exceptions described below:
(1) | if the Company has optionally deferred payment of interest otherwise due on the Junior Subordinated Debentures for a period of more than five consecutive years (excluding any time an Optional Deferral Period is suspended pursuant to Section 4.3 hereof)(the last day of such five-year period, the Fifth Deferral Anniversary), or |
(2) | if a Trigger Event has occurred and the related Trigger Period is continuing on an Interest Payment Date (regardless of whether a notice of an Optional Deferral has been delivered), |
then: (i) the Company may satisfy its obligation to pay interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures (A) in the case of an event described in clause (1) above, on any subsequent Interest Payment Date and (B) in the case of an event described in clause (2) above, on such Interest Payment Date (in each case, other than any interest that has accrued during an Optional Deferral Period prior to Fifth Deferral Anniversary thereof and prior to the occurrence of a Trigger Event, which may continue to be deferred to the extent provided herein or be paid out of any source of funds and except that on the Final Maturity Date and on the Acceleration Date of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Company may pay interest without regard to the source of funds), only to the extent of net proceeds from the sale of Qualifying APM Securities received by the Company during the 180 days prior to such Interest Payment Date (the Alternative Payment Mechanism); and (ii) the Company must make Commercially Reasonable Efforts to sell Common Stock, the sale of which will provide sufficient cash proceeds to pay any amount due to the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures in satisfaction of all accrued and unpaid interest, together with any Compounded Interest, to the extent permitted by law (unless such interest has been paid (or is being paid) from the sale of Qualifying Warrants). Such obligation will continue until all unpaid interest has been paid in full or, if such obligation has arisen only
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because a Trigger Event has occurred and the related Trigger Period is continuing, until such Trigger Period is no longer continuing. The Companys obligation to make Commercially Reasonable Efforts to sell Common Stock to satisfy its obligation to pay interest (x) does not apply to interest that has accrued during an Optional Deferral Period through the Fifth Deferral Anniversary, and (y) does not apply on the Final Maturity Date and on the Acceleration Date of the Junior Subordinated Debentures. Any accrued and unpaid interest will, in all events be due and payable on the Maturity Date, except for Forgone Interest to the extent provided for in Article 11 hereof.
(b) The net proceeds received by the Company from the sale of Qualifying APM Securities (i) during the 180 days prior to any Interest Payment Date on which the Company is required to use the Alternative Payment Mechanism and (ii) designated by the Company at or before the time of such sale as available to pay interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures will, at the time such proceeds are delivered to the Trustee to satisfy the relevant interest payment, be deemed to satisfy the Companys obligations to pay interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism.
(c) The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to seek shareholder consent to increase the number of its authorized shares of Common Stock if, at any date, its Shares Available for Issuance fall below the greater of:
(x) | 250 million shares (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, reclassification, recapitalization, split-up, combination, exchange of shares or similar transaction since the date of this Third Supplemental Indenture), and |
(y) | three times the number of shares that the Company would need to issue to raise sufficient proceeds to pay (assuming a price per share equal to the average trading price of its shares over the 10-trading-day period preceding such date) then outstanding deferred interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures (including Compounded Interest), plus twelve additional months of interest (including Compounded Interest) on the Junior Subordinated Debentures, up to a total of ten years of interest (including Compounded Interest). For purposes of determining the amounts accruing during a Floating Rate Period, interest will be computed by reference to spot Three-Month LIBOR on such calculation date plus a margin equal to 2.205%. |
An Other Covenant Default (as defined in Section 5.1(b) hereof) shall have occurred (but no Event of Default shall have occurred) if the Company does not use its commercially reasonable efforts to seek consent of its stockholders to increase the number of its authorized shares if, at any date, its Shares Available for Issuance fall below the number specified above.
(d) Following the Fifth Deferral Anniversary or the occurrence of a Trigger Event, the Company shall apply the net proceeds received by it from sales of shares of its Common Stock pursuant to this Section 6.2 to the payment of interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures then Outstanding, with net proceeds to be paid promptly after receipt until all interest amounts owing have been paid in full.
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(e) In the event that net proceeds received by the Company from one or more sales of shares of its Common Stock following such Fifth Deferral Anniversary or the occurrence of a Trigger Event are not sufficient to satisfy the full interest amount, such net proceeds will be paid to the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures on a pro rata basis.
(f) Any interest payment made pursuant to the provisions of this Section 6.2 will first be allocated to payment of the interest due on the Interest Payment Date for the then current Interest Payment Period. Any payment of interest in excess of the amount of the interest due on that Interest Payment Date will be applied first against any then existing accrued and unpaid interest with respect to prior Interest Payment Periods for which interest must be paid pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism, in chronological order beginning with the earliest Interest Payment Period for which interest has not been paid in full and for which interest must be paid pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism, including Compounded Interest. If the Company has Outstanding at such time any debt securities ranking pari passu with the Junior Subordinated Debentures under the terms of which the Company is obligated to sell Common Stock and apply the net proceeds to payment of deferred interest on such pari passu securities and the Company at such time is required to apply such proceeds to pay deferred interest on such pari passu securities, then on any date and for any period the amount of net proceeds received by the Company from such sales and available for payment of such deferred interest shall be applied to the Junior Subordinated Debentures and such pari passu securities on a pro rata basis, or on such other basis as any regulatory authority may direct (taking into account the availability of proceeds of preferred shares or other securities to settle deferred interest under any such other pari passu securities). Notwithstanding the foregoing, a partial payment will be applied (i) only to Optionally Deferred Interest to the extent that the source of such partial payment is other than proceeds of Qualifying APM Securities, and (ii) first to interest that is unpaid during a Trigger Period and second to Optionally Deferred Interest, to the extent that the source of such partial payment is the sale of Qualifying APM Securities.
(g) If the Company elects to satisfy its obligation to pay deferred interest pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism by issuing Qualifying Warrants, it will only do so if the total number of shares of Common Stock underlying such Qualifying Warrants applied to pay interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures pursuant to the Alternative Payment Mechanism, together with the total number of shares of Common Stock underlying all prior issuances of Qualifying Warrants so applied, does not exceed an amount equal to 15% of the total number of the Companys issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock as of the date of any proposed issuance.
SECTION 6.3 PAYMENT OF EXPENSES.
The Company, as issuer of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, shall pay or caused to be paid all costs and expenses relating to the offering, sale and issuance thereof, including compensation of the Trustee under the Indenture in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.06 of the Base Indenture.
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SECTION 6.4 PAYMENT UPON RESIGNATION OR REMOVAL.
Upon termination of this Third Supplemental Indenture or the Base Indenture or the removal or resignation of the Trustee, the Company shall pay to the Trustee all amounts accrued to the date of such termination, removal or resignation. ARTICLE 7 SUBORDINATION
Article XV of the Base Indenture shall be superseded in its entirety by this Article 7 with respect to, and solely for the benefit of, the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures; provided, that this Article 7 shall not become a part of the terms of any other series of Securities.
SECTION 7.1 AGREEMENT TO SUBORDINATE.
The Company agrees, and each holder by accepting any Junior Subordinated Debentures agrees, that the indebtedness evidenced by the Junior Subordinated Debentures is subordinated in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner provided in this Article 7, to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, and that the subordination is for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable directly by, the holders of Senior Indebtedness, without any act or notice of acceptance hereof or reliance hereon.
SECTION 7.2 LIQUIDATION; DISSOLUTION; BANKRUPTCY.
In the event of:
(a) any insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation, reorganization, readjustment, composition or other similar proceeding relating to the Company, its creditors or its property;
(b) any proceeding for the liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of the Company, voluntary or involuntary, whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings;
(c) any general assignment by the Company for the benefit of creditors; or
(d) any other marshalling of the assets of the Company,
all Senior Indebtedness (including, without limitation, interest accruing after the commencement of any such proceeding, assignment or marshalling of assets) shall first be paid in full before any payment or distribution, whether in cash, securities or other property, shall be made by the Company on account of the Junior Subordinated Debentures. In any such event, any payment or distribution, whether in cash, securities or other property, which would otherwise (but for the provisions of this Article 7) be payable or deliverable in respect of the Junior Subordinated Debentures (including any such payment or distribution which may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of any other indebtedness of the Company being subordinated to the payment of the Securities) shall generally be paid to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, or to their representatives, in accordance with the priorities then existing among such holders until all Senior Indebtedness shall have been paid in full. Payments on the Junior Subordinated Debentures in the form of other securities of the Company or those of any other
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corporation provided for by a plan of reorganization or a readjustment, the payment of which is subordinate, at least to the extent provided in the subordination provisions of this Third Supplemental Indenture with respect to the indebtedness evidenced by the Junior Subordinated Debentures, to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness at the time outstanding and to any securities issued in respect of such Senior Indebtedness under any such plan of reorganization or readjustment, shall be paid or delivered directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness and then, if any amounts remain, to the holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures. No present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness will be prejudiced in the right to enforce the subordination of the Junior Subordinated Debentures by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company.
SECTION 7.3 DEFAULT ON SENIOR INDEBTEDNESS.
No direct or indirect payment, in cash, property or securities, by set-off or otherwise, may be made or agreed to be made on account of the Junior Subordinated Debentures including in respect of any repayment, redemption, retirement, purchase or other acquisition of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, if: (i) the Company defaults in the payment of any principal, or premium, if any, or interest on any Senior Indebtedness, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or declaration or otherwise; or (ii) an event of default occurs with respect to any Senior Indebtedness permitting the holders thereof to accelerate the maturity and written notice of such event of default, requesting that payments on the Junior Subordinated Debentures cease, is given to the Company by any holder of Senior Indebtedness, unless and until such event of default has been cured or waived or ceases to exist.
SECTION 7.4 WHEN DISTRIBUTION MUST BE PAID OVER.
Subject to Section 8.1 hereof, if a distribution is made to the Trustee or any holder of Junior Subordinated Debentures at a time when a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or such holder has actual knowledge that, because of this Article 7 such distribution should not have been made to it, the Trustee or such holder who receives the distribution shall hold it in trust for the benefit of, and, upon written request, shall pay it over to, the holders of Senior Indebtedness as their interests may appear, or their agents or representatives, for application to the payment of all principal, premium, if any, and interest then payable with respect to any Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 7.5 SUBROGATION.
Senior Indebtedness shall not be deemed to have been paid in full unless the holders thereof shall have received cash, securities or other property equal to the amount of such Senior Indebtedness then Outstanding. After payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures will be subrogated to the rights of any holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive any further payments that are applicable to the Senior Indebtedness until all the Junior Subordinated Debentures are paid in full. In matters between holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures and any other type of the Companys creditors, any payments that would otherwise be paid to holders of Senior Indebtedness and that are made to holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures because of this subrogation will be deemed a payment by the Company on account of Senior Indebtedness and not on account of the Junior Subordinated Debentures.
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SECTION 7.6 RELATIVE RIGHTS.
This Article 7 defines the relative rights of holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures and holders of Senior Indebtedness. Unless otherwise specified in Article 11 hereof, nothing in this Indenture shall:
(a) impair, as between the Company and holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay principal of and interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures in accordance with their terms;
(b) affect the relative rights of holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures other than their rights in relation to holders of Senior Indebtedness; or
(c) prevent the Trustee or any holder of Junior Subordinated Debentures from exercising its available remedies upon a Default, an Other Covenant Default or Event of Default, subject to the rights of holders and beneficial owners of Senior Indebtedness to receive distributions and payments otherwise payable to holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures.
SECTION 7.7 RIGHTS OF THE TRUSTEE; HOLDERS OF SENIOR INDEBTEDNESS.
With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article 7, and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and the Trustee shall not be liable to any holder of such Senior Indebtedness (except with respect to holders of any Senior Indebtedness for which the Trustee is acting as trustee under the Base Indenture or otherwise) if it shall pay over or deliver to holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Company or any other Person money or assets to which any holder of such Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Article 7 or otherwise.
SECTION 7.8 SUBORDINATION MAY NOT BE IMPAIRED.
No present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness shall be prejudiced in the right to enforce subordination of the indebtedness constituting the Securities by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company.
SECTION 7.9 DISTRIBUTION.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Article 7, the Trustee and the holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree made by any court of competent jurisdiction or upon any certificate of the liquidating trustee or agent or other Person making any distribution to the Trustee or to the holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of the Senior Indebtedness and other Indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article 7.
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SECTION 7.10 AUTHORIZATION TO EFFECT SUBORDINATION.
Each holder of Junior Subordinated Debentures by his acceptance thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on his behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination as provided in this Article 7, and appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.
ARTICLE 8
NOTICE
SECTION 8.1 NOTICE BY THE COMPANY.
The Company shall give prompt written notice to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee of any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Junior Subordinated Debentures pursuant to the provisions of Article 7 hereof; provided that failure to give such notice shall not affect the subordination of the Junior Subordinated Debentures to the Senior Indebtedness as provided in Article 7 hereof. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of the Base Indenture and this Third Supplemental Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts that would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Junior Subordinated Debentures pursuant to the provisions of the Base Indenture; provided, however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the notice provided for in this Article 8 at least two Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any money may become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Junior Subordinated Debentures), then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such money and to apply the same to the purposes for which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary that may be received by it within two Business Days prior to such date.
ARTICLE 9
FORM OF JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURE
SECTION 9.1 FORM OF JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURE.
The Junior Subordinated Debentures and the Trustees Certificate of Authentication to be endorsed thereon are to be substantially in the following forms:
(FORM OF FACE OF DEBENTURE)
[If the Debenture is to be a Global Security, insert THIS DEBENTURE IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE CLEARING AGENCY OR A NOMINEE OF THE CLEARING AGENCY. THIS DEBENTURE IS EXCHANGEABLE FOR DEBENTURES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE CLEARING AGENCY OR ITS NOMINEE ONLY IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS DEBENTURE (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS DEBENTURE AS A WHOLE BY THE CLEARING
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AGENCY TO A NOMINEE OF THE CLEARING AGENCY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE CLEARING AGENCY TO THE CLEARING AGENCY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE CLEARING AGENCY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES.
UNLESS THIS DEBENTURE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT AND ANY DEBENTURE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY AND ANY PAYMENT HEREON IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY A PERSON IS WRONGFUL SINCE THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.]
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METLIFE, INC.
Global Certificate initially representing
$ aggregate principal amount of
6.40% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2066
No. R- | CUSIP No. |
This global certificate (the Global Certificate) is one of the Global Certificates in respect of a duly authorized issue of 6.40% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Debentures due 2066 (the Junior Subordinated Debentures) of MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter called the Company, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture, as defined on the reverse hereof). For value received, the Company hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., or its registered assigns, on December 15, 2066 (the Final Maturity Date) (or on the date of redemption by the Company prior to the Final Maturity Date, as provided for in the Indenture) the amount of principal of the Junior Subordinated Debentures represented by this Global Certificate from time to time and to pay interest from time to time on the Junior Subordinated Debentures represented by this Global Certificate from December 21, 2006 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for as specified on the reverse hereof and in the Indenture; provided, however, that the amount of principal of, and all amounts and unpaid interest on, the Junior Subordinated Debentures represented by this Global Certificate shall be payable in full on December 15, 2036 or any subsequent Interest Payment Date to the extent, and subject to the conditions, set forth on the reverse hereof and in the Indenture. If any date fixed for redemption or repayment of the Junior Subordinated Debentures represented by this Global Certificate is not a Business Day, then payment of the principal amount of the redemption price or repayment of the principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures represented by this Global Certificate shall be made on the next day that is a Business day, without any interest or other payment as a result of such delay.
This Junior Subordinated Debenture shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture, be valid or become obligatory for any purpose, until the Certificate of Authentication hereon shall have been executed by the Trustee.
All terms used in this Global Certificate that are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
The provisions of the Junior Subordinated Debentures are continued on the reverse side hereof and such continued provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be executed.
Dated: , 2006
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METLIFE, INC. | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
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CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Debentures referred to in the within mentioned Indenture.
THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee | ||||||
By: |
| |||||
Authorized Officer |
Dated: , 2006
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[REVERSE OF DEBENTURE]
This Global Certificate is one of the certificates representing a duly authorized issue of Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2066 (the Junior Subordinated Debentures), issued under a Subordinated Indenture, dated as of June 21, 2005 (herein called the Base Indenture), between the Company and the Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (as successor in interest to J.P. Morgan Trust Company, National Association) (herein called the Trustee, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), as supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 21, 2006 (the Third Supplemental Indenture together with the Base Indenture, the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee, the Company and the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, and of the terms upon which the Junior Subordinated Debentures are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered.
All terms used in this Junior Subordinated Debenture that are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
Interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall accrue (i) from the date of initial issuance to but excluding December 15, 2036, or earlier redemption, at an annual rate equal to 6.40%, payable semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing on June 15, 2007 and (ii) solely in the event that the Junior Subordinated Debentures are not repaid or otherwise redeemed on or before the scheduled Redemption Date (as defined below) from and including December 15, 2036 to but excluding the Final Maturity Date or earlier Maturity Date, at an annual rate equal to Three-Month LIBOR plus a margin equal to 2.205%, payable quarterly in arrears on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Article III of the Base Indenture, the Company shall have the right to redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures, in whole or in part, at any time on or after December 15, 2031, at a cash redemption price equal to the Par Redemption Amount; provided that, if the Junior Subordinated Debentures are not redeemed in whole, at least $50 million aggregate principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures (excluding any Junior Subordinated Debentures held by the Company or any of its Affiliates), must remain outstanding after giving effect to such redemption.
The Company shall have the right to redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures, in whole or in part, at any time prior to December 15, 2031, in cases not involving a Tax Event or Rating Agency Event, at a cash redemption price equal to the greater of (i) the Par Redemption Amount and (ii) the Make-Whole Redemption Amount; provided that if the Junior Subordinated Debentures are not redeemed in whole, at least $50 million aggregate principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures (excluding any Junior Subordinated Debentures held by the Company or any of its Affiliates) must remain outstanding after giving effect to such redemption.
At any time prior to December 15, 2031, the Company shall have the right to redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures in whole, but not in part, and only following the
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occurrence of a Tax Event or a Rating Agency Event, at a cash redemption price equal to the greater of (i) the Par Redemption Amount and (ii) the Special Event Make-Whole Redemption Amount. With respect to any redemption of Junior Subordinated Debentures as a result of a Tax Event or Rating Agency Event, the date fixed for such redemption will be within 180 days following the occurrence of such Tax Event or a Rating Agency Event, as applicable; provided, however, that if at that time the Company is able to eliminate, within the 180-day period, the Tax Event or Rating Agency Event by taking some ministerial action (such as making an election or filing a form) that has no adverse effect on the Company or the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Company shall pursue such action in lieu of redemption. The Company will have no right or obligation to redeem the Junior Subordinated Debentures while pursuing such measure.
Any redemption shall be made upon not less than 15 days and no more than 30 days notice before the date fixed for redemption to the registered holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures. If the Junior Subordinated Debentures are to be redeemed in part,(a) the Company shall give the Trustee not less than 15 days and no more than 30 days notice in advance of the date fixed for redemption and (b) the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall be redeemed pro rata or by lot or by any other method utilized by the Trustee that the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate in its discretion. Any notice mailed as provided herein shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the holder of the Junior Subordinated Debentures receives such notice, but failure duly to give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice or in the mailing thereof, to any holder of the Junior Subordinated Debentures designated for redemption shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Junior Subordinated Debentures. Each such notice given to a holder shall state: (i) the Redemption Date; (ii) the redemption price; (iii) that the Junior Subordinated Debentures are being redeemed pursuant to the Indenture or the terms of the Junior Subordinated Debentures together with the facts permitting such redemption; (iv) if less than all Outstanding Junior Subordinated Debentures are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the particular Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed; (v) the place or places where the Junior Subordinated Debentures are to be redeemed; and (vi) that interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed will cease to accrue on the Redemption Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Junior Subordinated Debentures are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any other similar facility, notice of redemption may be given to the holders of Junior Subordinated Debentures at such time and in any manner permitted by such facility. The redemption price shall be paid prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of such redemption or at such earlier time on such date as the Company determines and specifies in the notice of redemption. The Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent an amount of money sufficient to pay the redemption price of such Junior Subordinated Debentures or any portion thereof which are to be redeemed on Redemption Date.
Subject to the limitations contained in Section 3.2 of the Third Supplemental Indenture, the Company has agreed to repay the principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, together with accrued and unpaid interest, on December 15, 2036 (the Scheduled Redemption Date). The Company has agreed to repay the Junior Subordinated Debentures on the Scheduled Redemption Date only to the extent that the Company has raised sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period from the issuance of Qualifying
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Capital Securities. The Company will use QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts to raise sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period from the issuance of Qualifying Capital Securities to permit repayment of the Junior Subordinated Debentures in full on the Scheduled Redemption Date. If the Company has not raised sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period to permit repayment of all principal and accrued and unpaid interest, including any Compounded Interest, on the Junior Subordinated Debentures on the Scheduled Redemption Date, the Company shall continue to use QCS Commercially Reasonable Efforts to raise sufficient net proceeds during the applicable QCS Proceeds Collection Period from the issuance of Qualifying Capital Securities to permit repayment of the Junior Subordinated Debentures on the next Interest Payment Date, and on each Interest Payment Date thereafter, until the Junior Subordinated Debentures are paid in full.
If any notice of redemption has been given as provided herein, the Junior Subordinated Debentures or portion of the Junior Subordinated Debentures with respect to which such notice has been given shall become due and payable on the date and at the place or places stated in such notice at the applicable redemption price. From and after such date, the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed shall cease to bear interest. If any Junior Subordinated Debentures called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the redemption price shall, until paid, bear interest from the date set for redemption until the date redemption actually occurs at the then applicable interest rate on the Junior Subordinated Debentures. On presentation and surrender of certificates representing such Junior Subordinated Debentures at a place of payment specified, in said notice the said Junior Subordinated Debentures or the specified portions thereof shall be paid and redeemed by the Company at the applicable redemption price. Upon presentation of certificates representing Junior Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new certificate or certificates representing Junior Subordinated Debentures, of authorized denominations, in aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Junior Subordinated Debentures represented by the certificate(s) so presented and having the same original issue date, Final Maturity Date and terms. If a Global Security is so surrendered, such new Junior Subordinated Debentures will also be a new Global Security.
The Junior Subordinated Debentures shall not be entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund.
If an Event of Default with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Junior Subordinated Debentures may be declared due and payable in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture.
The Base Indenture contains provisions for satisfaction, discharge and defeasance at any time of the entire indebtedness of this Junior Subordinated Debenture upon compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.
The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Company and the Trustee, with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures at the time Outstanding (as defined in the Indenture) to execute
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supplemental indentures for the purpose of, among other things, adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of the Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures; provided, however, that, among other things, no such supplemental indenture shall (i) reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest thereon without the consent of the holder of each Junior Subordinated Debenture so affected, or (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Junior Subordinated Debentures, the holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture, without the consent of the holders of each Junior Subordinated Debenture then Outstanding and affected thereby. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Debentures at the time Outstanding affected thereby, on behalf of all of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, to waive a default or Event of Default with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures, and its consequences, except a default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any of the Junior Subordinated Debentures or a default in respect of a provision that under Article IX of the Base Indenture cannot be amended without the consent of each holder affected thereby. Any such consent or waiver by the registered holder of this Junior Subordinated Debenture (unless revoked as provided in the Indenture) shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders and owners of this Junior Subordinated Debenture and of any Junior Subordinated Debenture issued in exchange for or in place hereof (whether by registration of transfer or otherwise) irrespective of whether or not any notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Junior Subordinated Debenture.
So long as (i) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and (ii) no Trigger Event has occurred and the related Trigger Period is continuing, the Company may elect to defer one or more payments of interest on such Junior Subordinated Debentures (an Optional Deferral and any such deferred interest, Optionally Deferred Interest) at any time during the Term of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, and from time to time, for up to ten years (which may include a combination of semi-annual and quarterly Interest Payment Periods) without giving rise to an Event of Default and acceleration under the terms of the Indenture, provided, however, that (notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein) the Company may not defer any payment of interest past the Maturity Date and no Optional Deferral Period (as defined below) may end on a date other than on an Interest Payment Date. During any Optional Deferral and for so long as any Optionally Deferred Interest remains outstanding (an Optional Deferral Period), the Company may pay Optionally Deferred Interest that was deferred through the Fifth Deferral Anniversary out of any source of funds. Optionally Deferred Interest will continue to accrue and compound on each Interest Payment Date, to the extent permitted by applicable law, at the then applicable interest rate on the Junior Subordinated Debentures. If Optional Deferral has continued beyond the Fifth Deferral Anniversary, then the provisions of Section 6.2 of the Third Supplemental Indenture will apply, and the Company must (except on the Final Maturity Date or upon an acceleration of the Junior Subordinated Debentures following an Event of Default (an Acceleration Date) with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures) make Commercially Reasonable Efforts to sell Common Stock (unless such interest has been (or is being) paid from the proceeds of Qualifying Warrants) to satisfy its obligation to pay Optionally Deferred Interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures and may pay such Optionally Deferred Interest only out of the net proceeds from the sale of Qualifying APM Securities. Additionally, during any Optional Deferral Period, the restrictions on payment by the Company of dividends and other
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distributions on capital stock pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Third Supplemental Indenture will apply. Subject to the proviso in the first sentence of this paragraph, there is no limit on the number of Optional Deferral Periods that the Company may begin.
The Company shall provide a notice of any Optional Deferral to the Trustee and the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures no more than 30 and no fewer than 15 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date. Subject to Section 4.2(b) of the Third Supplemental Indenture, a notice of Optional Deferral, once given, shall be irrevocable and the deferral of payments on the related Interest Payment Date shall be considered an Optional Deferral, unless a Trigger Event has occurred as of the 30th day prior to such Interest Payment Date.
If and to the extent that a Trigger Event has occurred and a Trigger Period caused thereby is continuing as of the 30th day prior to an Interest Payment Date, and regardless of any notice of Optional Deferral that has been previously delivered (except on the Final Maturity Date or Acceleration Date with respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures) (i) the Company may pay interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures (other than any interest that had accrued during an Optional Deferral Period through the Fifth Deferral Anniversary thereof and prior to the occurrence of a Trigger Event which may continue to be deferred to the extent provided herein or be paid out of any source of funds) only to the extent that such interest is paid through the Alternative Payment Mechanism and (ii) the Company must make Commercial Reasonable Efforts to sell Common Stock, the sale of which will provide sufficient cash proceeds to pay any amounts due to the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures in satisfaction of all accrued and unpaid interest, together with any Compounded Interest, to the extent permitted by law (unless such interest has been (or is being) paid from the proceeds of Qualifying Warrants). Any interest that is accrued and unpaid during a Trigger Period will continue to accrue and compound on each Interest Payment Date, to the extent permitted by applicable law, at the then applicable interest rate on the Junior Subordinated Debentures.
Not earlier than the 15th nor later than the 30th day prior to each Interest Payment Date during a Trigger Period, the Company shall give written notice of the continuance of such Trigger Period to the Trustee and holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures. Such notice shall, depending on which condition is relied upon in determining that a Trigger Event has occurred, set forth either (x) the Covered Insurance Subsidiaries Risk-Based Capital Ratio or (y) the Trailing Four Quarters Consolidated Net Income Amount and the Adjusted Stockholders Equity Amount, as applicable, and the extent to which these amounts must increase in order for payments of interest from sources other than the Alternative Payment Mechanism to resume.
In the event that a Trigger Period is no longer continuing and at the termination of the Trigger Period there is no unpaid interest from an Optional Deferral Period that had continued beyond the Fifth Deferral Anniversary, the Company may pay subsequent interest in cash from any source of funds. However, any unpaid interest, that accrued during the continuance of a Trigger Period or an Optional Deferral Period that continued beyond the Fifth Deferral Anniversary may only be satisfied in accordance with the provisions of the Alternative Payment Mechanism, except that on the Final Maturity Date and the Acceleration Date of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Company may pay any accrued and unpaid interest without regard to the source of funds. Any accrued and unpaid interest will in all events be due and payable upon the Maturity Date, except for Foregone Interest to the extent provided for in Article 11 of the Third Supplemental Indenture.
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Each holder of a Junior Subordinated Debenture, by such holders acceptance thereof, agrees that upon any payment or distribution of assets to creditors of the Company upon any bankruptcy, insolvency or receivership proceeding with respect to the Company, and prior to the Maturity Date or redemption of such Junior Subordinated Debentures, such holder shall not have a claim for, and thus no right to receive, interest that is unpaid due to certain consequences of a Trigger Event (including Compounded Interest) and has not been settled through the application of the Alternative Payment Mechanism, to the extent that the aggregate amount thereof (including Compounded Interest) exceeds 25% of the then Outstanding principal amount of such Junior Subordinated Debenture in respect of which such interest was deferred. For the avoidance of doubt, this limitation on
claims for unpaid interest does not apply to Optionally Deferred Interest, and holders will have a full claim for, and right to receive, such Optionally Deferred Interest.
Except as provided in the immediately preceding paragraph and Article 11 of the Third Supplemental Indenture, no reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Junior Subordinated Debenture or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Junior Subordinated Debenture at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Base Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of Junior Subordinated Debentures is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of Junior Subordinated Debentures for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company maintained under Section 4.02 of the Base Indenture duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Securities Registrar duly executed by, the holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Junior Subordinated Debentures of this series, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of Junior Subordinated Debentures for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name Junior Subordinated Debentures are registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not Junior Subordinated Debentures are overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
The Junior Subordinated Debentures are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof. This Global Certificate is exchangeable for Junior Subordinated Debentures in definitive form only under certain limited circumstances set forth in the Base Indenture. As provided in the Base Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Junior Subordinated Debentures are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Junior Subordinated Debentures of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the holder surrendering the same.
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No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or the interest on Junior Subordinated Debentures, or for any claim based hereon, or otherwise in respect hereof, or based on or in respect of the Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, past, present or future, as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise, all such liability being, by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issuance hereof, expressly waived and released.
The Company agrees, and by acquiring an interest in a Junior Subordinated Debenture each beneficial owner of a Junior Subordinated Debenture agrees, to treat the Junior Subordinated Debentures as indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
THE INDENTURE AND THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO CONTRACTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE.
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ARTICLE 10
ORIGINAL ISSUE OF JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES
SECTION 10.1 ORIGINAL ISSUE OF JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES.
(a) Junior Subordinated Debentures in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $1,250,000,000, except as provided in Section 2.1(b) hereof, may, upon execution of this Third Supplemental Indenture, be executed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee for authentication, and the Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver said Junior Subordinated Debentures to or upon the written order of the Company, signed by its Chief Executive Officer, its President, or any Vice President (or more senior officer) and its Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, without any further action by the Company.
(b) The Company shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each calendar year (i) a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on Outstanding Securities as of the end of the year and (ii) such other specific information relating to such original issue discount as may then be relevant under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
ARTICLE 11
LIMITATION ON CLAIMS
SECTION 11.1 LIMITATION ON CLAIM FOR DEFERRED INTEREST DUE TO A TRIGGER EVENT IN BANKRUPTCY.
Each holder of a Junior Subordinated Debenture, by such holders acceptance thereof, agrees that upon any payment or distribution of assets to creditors of the Company upon any bankruptcy, insolvency or receivership proceeding with respect to the Company, and prior to the Maturity Date or redemption of such Junior Subordinated Debentures, such holder shall not have a claim for, and thus no right to receive, interest that is unpaid due to certain consequences of a Trigger Event (including Compounded Interest) and has not been settled through the application of the Alternative Payment Mechanism, to the extent that the aggregate amount thereof (including Compounded Interest) exceeds 25% of the then Outstanding principal amount of such Junior Subordinated Debenture in respect of which such interest was deferred. Amounts to which the holders of the Junior Subordinated Debentures would have been entitled to receive hereunder, but for the operation of this Section 11.1, are referred to as Foregone Interest. For the avoidance of doubt, this limitation on claims for unpaid interest does not apply to Optionally Deferred Interest, and holders will have a full claim for, and right to receive, such Optionally Deferred Interest.
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ARTICLE 12
DISCHARGE, DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
The provisions of Article XIII of the Base Indenture shall apply to the Junior Subordinated Debentures.
ARTICLE 13
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 13.1 RATIFICATION OF BASE INDENTURE; CONFLICTS.
The Base Indenture, as supplemented by this Third Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and this Third Supplemental Indenture shall be deemed part of the Base Indenture in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided. To the extent permitted by applicable law and the Base Indenture, in the event of any conflict between this Third Supplemental Indenture and the Base Indenture or the provisions set forth in the certificates of Junior Subordinated Debentures, as the case may be, this Third Supplemental Indenture shall control.
SECTION 13.2 JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES UNAFFECTED BY OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.
None of the Companys supplemental indentures to the Base Indenture entered into prior to the date hereof applies to the Junior Subordinated Debentures. To the extent the terms of the Base Indenture are amended by any of such other supplemental indenture, no such amendment shall relate or apply to the Junior Subordinated Debentures. To the extent the terms of the Base Indenture are amended as provided herein, no such amendment shall in any way affect the terms of any such other supplemental indenture or any other series of Securities. This Third Supplemental Indenture shall relate and apply solely to the Junior Subordinated Debentures.
SECTION 13.2 TRUSTEE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS.
The recitals herein contained are made by the Company and not by the Trustee, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof.
SECTION 13.4 TAX TREATMENT.
The Company agrees, and by acquiring an interest in a Junior Subordinated Debenture each beneficial owner of a Junior Subordinated Debenture agrees, to treat the Junior Subordinated Debentures as indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
SECTION 13.5 GOVERNING LAW.
This Third Supplemental Indenture and the Junior Subordinated Debentures will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
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SECTION 13.6 SEPARABILITY.
In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Third Supplemental Indenture or in the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Third Supplemental Indenture or of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, but this Third Supplemental Indenture and the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.
SECTION 13.7 COUNTERPARTS.
This Third Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be an original; but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
SECTION 13.8 CALCULATION AGENT AND PREMIUM CALCULATION AGENT
Whether or not expressly provided herein or in the Base Indenture, every provision of this Third Supplemental Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee, the Calculation Agent and the Premium Calculation Agent shall be subject to Article VII of the Base Indenture.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Third Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, on the date or dates indicated in the acknowledgments and as of the day and year first above written.
METLIFE, INC, as | ||
Issuer | ||
By: | /s/ Anthony J. Williamson | |
Name: Anthony J. Williamson | ||
Title: Senior Vice President and | ||
Treasurer |
[SEAL]
Attested:
By | : /s/ Gwenn L. Carr | |
Name: Gwenn L. Carr | ||
Title: Senior Vice President and Secretary |
THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee | ||
By: | /s/ Lawrence M. Kusch | |
Name: Lawrence M. Kusch | ||
Title: Assistant Vice President |
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