MFA MFA Financial Inc

NEW YORK, May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE: MFA) today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019.

First Quarter 2019 and other highlights:

• MFA generated first quarter GAAP net income of $85.1 million, or $0.19 per common share.
• As of March 31, 2019, book value per common share was $7.11.
• GAAP Net Income per common share was $0.06 higher than the fourth quarter of 2018, primarily due to partial recovery of unrealized losses in our residential mortgage securities portfolio, particularly CRT securities.
• Core earnings was $77.6 million, or $0.17 per common share in the first quarter. Core earnings is a non-GAAP measure of MFA's financial performance that is calculated by adjusting GAAP net income to exclude the impact of unrealized gains and losses on certain of our investments. Core earnings was lower than GAAP earnings in the first quarter due to the exclusion of unrealized gains on residential mortgage securities and related swap hedges measured at fair value through earnings.
• Continued success in growing the investment portfolio, for the sixth consecutive quarter. MFA added approximately $1.2 billion of residential mortgage assets in the first quarter, including $875 million of residential whole loans, increasing the total investment portfolio by $369 million.
• Net interest income on MFA's residential whole loan portfolio increased 21.4% from the prior quarter to $17.6 million, due to the acquisition of Purchased Performing Loans, including Non-QM loans, rehabilitation or "fix and flip" loans and single family rental loans.
• On April 30, 2019, MFA paid its first quarter 2019 dividend of $0.20 per share of common stock to shareholders of record as of March 29, 2019.

Craig Knutson, MFA's CEO and President, said, "MFA continued to grow our investment portfolio in the first quarter of 2019, acquiring $1.2 billion of new assets during the quarter.  Our residential whole loan and REO portfolio increased by $595 million, largely due to investments in purchased performing loans.  In addition, MSR-related assets increased by $213 million.  Our growth in purchased performing whole loans was driven by the acquisition of Non-QM loans, fix and flip loans and single family rental loans.  We continue to gain traction on these new acquisition efforts, which involve relationships cultivated over the past two years.  Through our willingness and ability to explore and enter into various arrangements, including flow agreements, strategic alliances and also minority equity investments, we have been able to partner with originators to source attractive new investments, while enabling them to grow with support from MFA as a reliable provider of capital."

"MFA is introducing this quarter a Core earnings financial measure that we consider to be more useful to understanding the economic earnings generated by our portfolio.  Core earnings adjusts GAAP net income by excluding unrealized gains and losses of certain assets that arise due to market pricing disruptions that may be caused by technical factors rather than fundamental or cash flow-related changes.  In addition, Core earnings serves as a consideration for our Board of Directors in the determination of our dividend."

Mr. Knutson added, "Through our asset selection and hedging strategy, our estimated net effective duration, a gauge of our portfolio's sensitivity to interest rates, remained relatively low and measured 1.07 at quarter-end.  Our portfolio continues to deliver book value stability.  MFA's book value per common share slightly decreased to $7.11 from $7.15 as of December 31, 2018.  Leverage, which reflects the ratio of our financing obligations to equity, was 2.7:1 at quarter-end."

At March 31, 2019, our investments in residential whole loans totaled $5.2 billion.  Of this amount, $3.7 billion is recorded at carrying value and generated a yield of 5.89% during the quarter, and $1.5 billion is recorded at fair value on our consolidated balance sheet. We recorded gains for the quarter on residential whole loans measured at fair value of approximately $25.3 million, primarily reflecting coupon interest payments and other cash received during the quarter together with changes in the fair value of the underlying loans.  In addition, as of the end of the quarter, we held approximately $291 million of REO properties.  MFA's proactive asset management team has been able to shorten liquidation timelines and increase property sale proceeds, leading to improved outcomes and better returns.

MFA's Legacy Non-Agency MBS had a face amount of $2.0 billion with an amortized cost of $1.4 billion and a net purchase discount of $632.1 million at March 31, 2019.  This discount consists of a $502.7 million credit reserve and other-than-temporary impairments and a $129.4 million net accretable discount.  We believe this credit reserve appropriately factors in remaining uncertainties regarding underlying mortgage performance and the potential impact on future cash flows.  Our Legacy Non-Agency MBS generated a yield of 10.45% for the quarter.  The portfolio continues to outperform our credit assumptions and has underlying mortgage loans that are on average approximately thirteen years seasoned and only 11.2% are currently 60 or more days delinquent.

As of March 31, 2019, the Agency MBS portfolio totaled $2.5 billion, had an amortized cost basis of 103.9% of par and generated a yield of 2.77% for the first quarter. At the end of the first quarter, MFA held approximately $1.3 billion of RPL/NPL MBS.  These securities had an amortized cost basis of 99.96% of par and generated a yield of 4.90% for the quarter.  In addition, our investments in MSR-related assets at March 31, 2019 totaled $825.4 million and generated a yield of 5.39% for the first quarter.  Our investments in CRT securities totaled $423.7 million at March 31, 2019, and generated a yield of 5.62% for the first quarter.  During the quarter we opportunistically sold residential mortgage securities for $209.5 million, realizing gains of $24.6 million ($5.5 million of which had previously been recorded as unrealized gains on CRT securities for which we had elected fair value accounting). We realized a loss of $7.8 million on termination of swap hedges in connection with managing our investment in 30-Year Agency MBS, as a sharp rally in rates led to a shortening of these assets and a reduction in their duration.

For the three months ended March 31, 2019, MFA's costs for compensation and benefits and other general and administrative expenses were $13.2 million, or an annualized 1.55% of stockholders' equity as of March 31, 2019.

The following table presents MFA's asset allocation as of March 31, 2019, and the first quarter 2019 yield on average interest-earning assets, average cost of funds and net interest rate spread for the various asset types.

At March 31, 2019, MFA's $4.4 billion of Agency and Legacy Non-Agency MBS were backed by hybrid, adjustable and fixed-rate mortgages.  Additional information about these MBS, including average months to reset and three-month average CPR, is presented below:

Webcast

MFA Financial, Inc. plans to host a live audio webcast of its investor conference call on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss its first quarter 2019 financial results. The live audio webcast will be accessible to the general public over the internet at http://www.mfafinancial.com through the "Webcasts & Presentations" link on MFA's home page.  To listen to the conference call over the internet, please go to the MFA website at least 15 minutes before the call to register and to download and install any needed audio software.  Earnings presentation materials will be posted on the MFA website prior to the conference call and an audio replay will be available on the website following the call.

Cautionary Language Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

When used in this press release or other written or oral communications, statements which are not historical in nature, including those containing words such as "will," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "could," "would," "may" or similar expressions, are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, as such, may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking: changes in interest rates and the market (i.e., fair) value of MFA's MBS, residential whole loans, CRT securities and other assets; changes in the prepayment rates on residential mortgage assets, an increase of which could result in a reduction of the yield on certain investments in our portfolio and could require us to reinvest the proceeds received by us as a result of such prepayments in investments with lower coupons, while a decrease in which could result in an increase in the interest rate duration of certain investments in our portfolio making their valuation more sensitive to changes in interest rates and could result in lower forecasted cash flows or, in certain circumstances, other-than-temporary impairment on certain Legacy Non-Agency MBS purchased at a discount; credit risks underlying MFA's assets, including changes in the default rates and management's assumptions regarding default rates on the mortgage loans securing MFA's Non-Agency MBS and relating to MFA's residential whole loan portfolio; MFA's ability to borrow to finance its assets and the terms, including the cost, maturity and other terms, of any such borrowings; implementation of or changes in government regulations or programs affecting MFA's business; MFA's estimates regarding taxable income, the actual amount of which is dependent on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, changes in the amount of interest income and financing costs, the method elected by MFA to accrete the market discount on Non-Agency MBS and residential whole loans and the extent of prepayments, realized losses and changes in the composition of MFA's Agency MBS, Non-Agency MBS and residential whole loan portfolios that may occur during the applicable tax period, including gain or loss on any MBS disposals and whole loan modifications, foreclosures and liquidations; the timing and amount of distributions to stockholders, which are declared and paid at the discretion of MFA's Board of Directors and will depend on, among other things, MFA's taxable income, its financial results and overall financial condition and liquidity, maintenance of its REIT qualification and such other factors as MFA's Board of Directors deems relevant; MFA's ability to maintain its qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes; MFA's ability to maintain its exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (or the "Investment Company Act"), including statements regarding the concept release issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") relating to interpretive issues under the Investment Company Act with respect to the status under the Investment Company Act of certain companies that are engaged in the business of acquiring mortgages and mortgage-related interests; MFA's ability to continue growing its residential whole loan portfolio, which is dependent on, among other things, the supply of loans offered for sale in the market; expected returns on our investments in nonperforming residential whole loans ("NPLs"), which are affected by, among other things, the length of time required to foreclose upon, sell, liquidate or otherwise reach a resolution of the property underlying the NPL, home price values, amounts advanced to carry the asset (e.g., taxes, insurance, maintenance expenses, etc. on the underlying property) and the amount ultimately realized upon resolution of the asset; targeted or expected returns on MFA's investments in recently-originated loans, the performance of which is, similar to MFA's other mortgage loan investments, subject to, among other things, prepayment risk, credit risk and financing cost associated with such investments; risks associated with our investments in MSR-related assets, including servicing, regulatory and economic risks, and risks associated with investing in real estate assets, including changes in business conditions and the general economy. These and other risks, uncertainties and factors, including those described in the annual, quarterly and current reports that MFA files with the SEC, could cause MFA's actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements it makes. All forward-looking statements are based on beliefs, assumptions and expectations of MFA's future performance, taking into account all information currently available.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time and it is not possible to predict those events or how they may affect MFA. Except as required by law, MFA is not obligated to, and does not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Reconciliation of GAAP net income available to common stock and participating securities to non-GAAP Core earnings

"Core earnings" is a non-GAAP financial measure of our operating performance, within the meaning of Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K, as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Core earnings excludes certain unrealized gains and losses that we are required to include in GAAP Net Income each period because management believes that these items, which to date have typically resulted from short-term market volatility or other market technical factors and not due to changes in fundamental asset cash flows, are not reflective of the economic income generated by our investment portfolio.  Accordingly, we believe that the adjustments to compute Core earnings specified below better allow investors and analysts to evaluate our financial results, including by analyzing changes in our Core earnings between periods.   In addition to using Core earnings in the evaluation of investment portfolio performance over time, Management considers estimates of periodic Core earnings as an input to the determination of the level of quarterly dividends to common shareholders that are recommended to the Board of Directors for approval and in its forecasting and decision-making processes relating to the allocation of capital between different asset classes.

We believe that Core earnings provides useful supplemental information to both management and investors in evaluating our financial results.  Core earnings should be used in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP.  Core earnings does not represent and should not be considered as a substitute for Net Income or Cash Flows from Operating Activities, each as determined in accordance with GAAP, and our calculation of this measure may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

The following table provides a reconciliation of our GAAP net income available to common stock and participating securities to our non-GAAP Core earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018:

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SOURCE MFA Financial, Inc.