Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - MetLife reported adjusted earnings of $1.6 billion, or $2.37 per share, up 22% per share from the prior year period [5] - Adjusted earnings totaled $1.6 billion, or $2.34 per share, a 21% increase from a year ago, driven by strong investment margins and volume growth [5][20] - The adjusted return on equity, excluding notable items, was 16.7%, near the top of the target range of 15%-17% [6] - The direct expense ratio was 11.6%, ahead of schedule relative to the new frontier commitment [6][28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Group benefits adjusted earnings totaled $457 million, up 6% from a year ago, reflecting solid underwriting results [6][20] - Retirement and income solutions adjusted earnings totaled $423 million, up 15% from the prior year quarter, driven by higher variable investment income [8][22] - Asia adjusted earnings were $473 million, a 36% increase from the prior year quarter, with sales surging 34% on a constant currency basis [9][24] - Latin America adjusted earnings were $222 million, up 2%, with adjusted PFOs totaling $1.7 billion, up 11% [10][25] - EMEA adjusted earnings were $89 million, up 19% on a reported basis, primarily due to volume growth [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Japan, sales increased by 31% year over year, driven by new product launches and enhancements [9][35] - Other Asia markets saw sales up 39% year over year, led by Korea and China [10][24] - The U.S. statutory adjusted capital stood at approximately $17.1 billion, unchanged from the prior quarter [31] Company Strategy and Development Direction - MetLife's new frontier strategy is focused on capital management, expense discipline, and leveraging technology for productivity gains [12][16] - The company is working towards closing two strategic transactions: the acquisition of PineBridge and the sale of a legacy block of variable annuities [13] - The annual Value of New Business (VNB) results indicate a disciplined approach to capital allocation, with $3.4 billion deployed in 2024 [11][30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the operating environment, highlighting strong investment margins and a positive outlook for the pension risk transfer (PRT) business [9][12] - The company anticipates continued momentum in Asia and expects to see strong sales guidance for 2025 [35] - Management emphasized the importance of maintaining a disciplined approach to underwriting and capital deployment [41][52] Other Important Information - MetLife returned approximately $875 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in the third quarter [12][31] - The company ended the quarter with cash and liquid assets of roughly $4.9 billion, exceeding its target cash buffer [13][31] - The effective tax rate on adjusted earnings was approximately 24%, at the bottom end of the guidance range [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide additional color on the strength seen in Asia sales? - Management noted a 34% increase in the overall Asia market, with Japan sales up 31% due to new product launches and enhancements [34][35] Question: What is the expected magnitude of expense seasonality in Q4? - Management expects Q4 expenses to be somewhat higher than the first three quarters but still below the 12.1% target [38][39] Question: Can you comment on the $12 billion of PRTs won in Q4? - Management indicated that the $12 billion consists of a few large deals, emphasizing their competitive advantages in the jumbo end of the market [40][41] Question: What is the outlook for the base spread in RIS? - Management expects steady spread levels from Q3, with potential temporary headwinds from large PRT mandates [56]

MetLife (MET) Conference February 12, 2025 08:00 AM ET Company Participants Michel Khalaf - President & CEOJohn McCallion - Executive VP & CFO Conference Call Participants Joshua Shanker - AnalystNone - Analyst Joshua Shanker That's day two, depending on how accounting of the Bank of America Financial Service Conference for 2025. This is the room that we'll be discussing MetLife. We're really pleased. We have CEO Michel Khalaf and CFO John McKellen here. Just a little bio, even though maybe it doesn't seem ...