Exhibit 99.1
| PRESS RELEASE | | MAY 16, 2008 |  |
Stock fraction final dividend 2007 AEGON N.V. determined at 1/33
On April 23, 2008 the 2007 dividend was approved by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting. Shareholders were given the choice to receive the final dividend either in cash or in stock. The final dividend in cash is EUR 0.32 per common share of EUR 0.12 nominal and will be made payable as of May 23, 2008.
Shareholders who elected a final dividend in shares will receive one new AEGON common share for every 33 common shares. The stock fraction has been based on the average price for the AEGON share on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange over the period from May 12, 2008 up to and including May 16, 2008. Any remaining fractions of one share will be paid in cash. The value of the stock dividend is 4.0% lower than the cash dividend.
As announced in the press release of March 6, 2008, AEGON will purchase shares on the open market to neutralize the effect of the stock dividend. Going forward, AEGON aims to increase dividends in relation to the development of capital position and cash flows.
| Media relations | Website | 20080516 | ||
| +31 (0)70 344 8344 | www.aegon.com | |||
| Investor relations | ||||
| +31 (0)70 344 8305 |
About AEGON
AEGON is one of the world’s largest life insurance and pension groups, and a strong provider of investment products. AEGON empowers local business units to identify and provide products and services that meet the evolving needs of customers, using distribution channels best suited to local markets. AEGON takes pride in balancing a local approach with the power of an expanding global operation.
With headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, AEGON companies employ approximately 30,000 people worldwide. AEGON’s businesses serve millions of customers in over twenty markets throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Respect, quality, transparency and trust constitute AEGON’s core values as the company continually strives to meet the expectations of customers, shareholders, employees and business partners. AEGON is driven to deliver new thinking with the ambition to be the best in the industry.
Group Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
| Media relations | Investor relations | |
| Phone: + 31 (0)70 –344 8344 | Phone: + 31 (0)70 – 344 8305 or + 1 877 548 9668 – toll free USA only | |
| E-mail:gcc-ir@aegon.com | E-mail:ir@aegon.com |
Website
www.aegon.com
Forward-looking statements
The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following are words that identify such forward-looking statements: believe, estimate, target, intend, may, expect, anticipate, predict, project, counting on, plan, continue, want, forecast, should, would, is confident, will, and similar expressions as they relate to our company. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which merely reflect company expectations at the time of writing. Actual results may differ materially from expectations conveyed in forward-looking statements due to changes caused by various risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following:
| • | Changes in general economic conditions, particularly in the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom; |
| • | Changes in the performance of financial markets, including emerging markets, such as with regard to: |
| • | The frequency and severity of defaults by issuers in our fixed income investment portfolios; and |
| • | The effects of corporate bankruptcies and/or accounting restatements on the financial markets and the resulting decline in the value of equity and debt securities we hold; |
| • | The frequency and severity of insured loss events; |
| • | Changes affecting mortality, morbidity and other factors that may impact the profitability of our insurance products; |
| • | Changes affecting interest rate levels and continuing low or rapidly changing interest rate levels; |
| • | Changes affecting currency exchange rates, in particular the EUR/USD and EUR/GBP exchange rates; |
| • | Increasing levels of competition in the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and emerging markets; |
| • | Changes in laws and regulations, particularly those affecting our operations, the products we sell, and the attractiveness of certain products to our consumers; |
| • | Regulatory changes relating to the insurance industry in the jurisdictions in which we operate; |
| • | Acts of God, acts of terrorism, acts of war and pandemics; |
| • | Changes in the policies of central banks and/or governments; |
| • | Litigation or regulatory action that could require us to pay significant damages or change the way we do business; |
| • | Customer responsiveness to both new products and distribution channels; |
| • | Competitive, legal, regulatory, or tax changes that affect the distribution cost of or demand for our products; |
| • | Our failure to achieve anticipated levels of earnings or operational efficiencies as well as other cost saving initiatives; and |
| • | The impact our adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards may have on our reported financial results and financial condition. |
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