UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
x | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended: March 31, 2005
OR
¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 001-32026
SUNSET FINANCIAL RESOURCES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its governing instruments)
Maryland | 16-1685692 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(IRS Employer Identification Number) |
10245 Centurion Parkway, Third Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(Address of principal executive offices, Zip Code)
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (904) 425-4099
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. (1) Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Yes ¨ No x
APPLICABLE ONLY TO CORPORATE ISSUERS:
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuers classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Common Stock ($.001 par value) | 10,475,000 as of May 10, 2005 |
2
Sunset Financial Resources, Inc
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(dollar amounts in thousands)
March 31, 2005 |
December 31, 2004 |
|||||||
(unaudited) | ||||||||
Assets |
||||||||
Mortgage assets |
||||||||
Mortgage backed securities, available for sale |
$ | 818,427 | $ | 614,154 | ||||
Securitized hybrid adjustable rate mortgages |
189,825 | 201,381 | ||||||
Hybrid adjustable rate residential mortgages |
1,162 | 1,286 | ||||||
Fixed rate residential mortgages |
939 | 1,045 | ||||||
Commercial mortgages |
36,474 | 44,522 | ||||||
Total mortgage assets |
1,046,827 | 862,388 | ||||||
Allowance for loan losses |
(355 | ) | (1,333 | ) | ||||
Net mortgage assets |
1,046,472 | 861,055 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
22,630 | 25,700 | ||||||
Interest receivable |
4,235 | 2,676 | ||||||
Fixed assets, net |
776 | 861 | ||||||
Other assets |
2,984 | 484 | ||||||
Hedging assets, net |
8,389 | 2,716 | ||||||
Total assets |
$ | 1,085,486 | $ | 893,492 | ||||
Liabilities |
||||||||
Whole loan financing facility |
$ | | $ | 9,718 | ||||
Reverse repurchase agreements |
943,460 | 761,205 | ||||||
Trust preferred securities |
20,000 | | ||||||
Hedging liabilities |
6 | 944 | ||||||
Accrued liabilities |
4,525 | 2,367 | ||||||
Total liabilities |
967,991 | 774,234 | ||||||
Commitments |
| | ||||||
Shareholders equity |
||||||||
Preferred stock, $.001 par value, authorized 50,000,000; no shares outstanding |
| | ||||||
Common stock, $.001 par value, authorized 100,000,000; 10,475,000 and 10,450,000 outstanding, respectively |
10 | 10 | ||||||
Additional paid in capital |
119,295 | 119,219 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
787 | 87 | ||||||
Retained earnings |
(2,597 | ) | (58 | ) | ||||
Total shareholders equity |
117,495 | 119,258 | ||||||
Total liabilities and shareholders equity |
$ | 1,085,486 | $ | 893,492 | ||||
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
3
Sunset Financial Resources, Inc
Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited)
(dollar amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2005 |
Three Months Ended March 31, 2004 |
||||||
Interest and fee income |
$ | 10,171 | $ | 44 | |||
Interest expense |
6,699 | 32 | |||||
Net interest income |
3,472 | 12 | |||||
Provision for loan losses |
76 | 15 | |||||
Net interest income after provision |
3,396 | (3 | ) | ||||
Operating expenses |
|||||||
Salaries and employee benefits |
740 | 902 | |||||
Professional fees |
464 | 224 | |||||
Other |
749 | 414 | |||||
Total operating expenses |
1,953 | 1,540 | |||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | 1,443 | $ | (1,543 | ) | ||
Basic earnings per share |
0.14 | (0.73 | ) | ||||
Diluted earnings per share |
0.14 | (0.85 | ) | ||||
Weighted average basic shares |
10,454 | 2,112 | |||||
Weighted average diluted shares |
10,454 | 2,118 |
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
4
Sunset Financial Resources, Inc
Consolidated Statement of Other Comprehensive Income (unaudited)
(dollar amounts in thousands)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2005 |
Three Months Ended March 31, 2004 |
|||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | 1,443 | $ | (1,543 | ) | |||
Other comprehensive income |
||||||||
Net unrealized loss on available for sale securities arising during the period |
(8,337 | ) | | |||||
Net realized deferred gain on terminated effective hedges |
1,061 | | ||||||
Net unrealized gain on hedging instruments arising during the period |
7,976 | 49 | ||||||
Other comprehensive income |
$ | 2,143 | $ | (1,494 | ) | |||
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
5
Sunset Financial Resources, Inc
Consolidated Statement of Shareholders Equity (unaudited)
(dollar amounts in thousands)
Common Stock |
Paid in Capital |
Other Comprehensive Income |
Retained Earnings |
Total |
||||||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2004 |
$ | 10 | $ | 119,219 | $ | 87 | $ | (58 | ) | $ | 119,258 | |||||||
Amortization of restricted stock awards |
58 | 58 | ||||||||||||||||
Amortization of stock option awards |
18 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||
Unrealized gain on hedging instruments |
7,976 | 7,976 | ||||||||||||||||
Net realized deferred gain on terminated effective cash flow hedges |
1,061 | 1,061 | ||||||||||||||||
Unrealized loss on available for sale securities |
(8,337 | ) | (8,337 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Dividends declared of $0.38 per share |
(3,982 | ) | (3,982 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Net income |
1,443 | 1,443 | ||||||||||||||||
Balance at March 31, 2005 |
$ | 10 | $ | 119,295 | $ | 787 | $ | (2,597 | ) | $ | 117,495 | |||||||
6
Sunset Financial Resources, Inc
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (unaudited)
(dollar amounts in thousands)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2005 |
Three Months Ended March 31, 2004 |
|||||||
Operating activities |
||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | 1,443 | $ | (1,543 | ) | |||
Adjustment to reconcile net income to net cash provided from operations |
||||||||
Stock based compensation expense |
76 | 258 | ||||||
Provision for credit losses |
76 | 15 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization of fixed assets |
91 | 7 | ||||||
Amortization of premium/discount |
635 | | ||||||
Amortization of net deferred hedge gain |
(69 | ) | | |||||
Increase in accrued interest |
(1,559 | ) | (577 | ) | ||||
Increase in other assets |
(2,500 | ) | (138 | ) | ||||
Increase in accrued liabilities |
2,158 | 728 | ||||||
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
351 | (1,250 | ) | |||||
Investing activities |
||||||||
Investment purchases, available for sale |
(242,994 | ) | | |||||
Principal payments on investments |
29,913 | | ||||||
Loan purchases |
| (167,640 | ) | |||||
Principal payments on loans |
18,616 | | ||||||
Purchase of fixed assets |
(6 | ) | (654 | ) | ||||
Net cash used in investing activities |
(194,471 | ) | (168,294 | ) | ||||
Financing activities |
||||||||
Net borrowings from reverse repurchase agreements |
182,255 | | ||||||
Net borrowings from whole loan financing facilities |
(9,718 | ) | 100,423 | |||||
Issuance of Trust Preferred securities |
20,000 | | ||||||
Net payments on shareholder notes |
| (145 | ) | |||||
Deferred gain on terminated swap |
1,130 | | ||||||
Net proceeds from stock offering |
| 118,652 | ||||||
Derivatives margin received |
1,365 | | ||||||
Dividends declared |
(3,982 | ) | | |||||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
191,050 | 218,930 | ||||||
Net (decrease) increase in cash |
(3,070 | ) | 49,386 | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period |
25,700 | 44 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period |
$ | 22,630 | $ | 49,430 | ||||
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
7
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note AORGANIZATION
Sunset Financial Resources, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in Maryland on October 6, 2003 under the name of Sunset Capital Investments, Inc. but had limited operations until the second quarter of 2004.
On November 17, 2003, Sunset Capital Investments, Inc. filed amended articles of incorporation to change its name to Sunset Financial Resources, Inc. and to change the number of authorized shares of preferred stock from 15,000,000 to 50,000,000 and to change the number of authorized common shares from 50,000,000 to 100,000,000.
Note BSUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The Companys books and records are maintained on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and include all of the Companys accounts and its 100% owned subsidiaries, Sunset Investment Vehicle, Inc., Sunset Financial Statutory Trust I, and SFR Subsidiary, Inc. The Company consolidates all entities in which it has a controlling interest as determined by a majority ownership interest in the common stock of such entities or the ability to exercise control and consolidates any variable interest entities for which it is the primary beneficiary.
Use of Estimates
In preparing consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated balance sheet and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Profit and Loss Allocations and Distributions
As a REIT, the Company intends to declare regular quarterly distributions in order to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to stockholders each year.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less. The carrying amount approximates fair market value.
Cash balances may also be subject to restrictions, such as when balances are pledged to meet margin calls related to derivative transactions or reverse repurchase agreements.
Investment Securities
The Company may at times have an investment portfolio. It will be utilized to deploy excess cash until the funds can be deployed into mortgage assets.
Generally, investment securities will be carried as available for sale with any mark to market adjustment shown in other comprehensive income.
8
Mortgage Assets
The Companys mortgage assets consist of residential mortgage assets (mortgage-backed securities, securitized mortgage loans, mortgage loans) and commercial mortgage bridge loans. The residential mortgage assets primarily have adjustable rates or hybrid adjustable rates (an initial fixed term of from one to seven years with the remaining term being floating). The commercial mortgage bridge loans are normally for a one year term with a fixed rate of interest.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
The Companys mortgage-backed securities are held as available for sale with any mark to market adjustment being shown in other comprehensive income. Any premium or discount on these securities is amortized over the life of the asset in a method used to approximate a level yield.
Securitized Mortgage Loans
The Company utilized securitization as a method of increasing the financing options for its mortgage loans. When the loans are transferred to a securitization trust, they are reclassified on the balance sheet from loans to securitized loans reflecting the change in ownership structure. This transfer does not qualify as a sale and is made at book value due to the ownership interest the Company maintains in the beneficial interest of the securitized loans.
Securitized loans are carried on the balance sheet at historical cost. Any premium or discount on these assets is amortized over the life of the asset in a method used to approximate a level yield.
Mortgage Loans
The Company invests in mortgage loans and maintains a loan portfolio on its balance sheet. These loans are carried at historical cost with any initial premium or discount being amortized as a yield adjustment. The Company will primarily invest in hybrid adjustable rate mortgage loans (ARMs).
Commercial Mortgage Bridge Loans
The Company invests in commercial mortgage bridge loans with an initial term of one year. These loans are carried on the balance sheet at historical cost. Any premium, discount, or fees are amortized over the term of the loan as a yield adjustment.
Valuation Methods
The fair value of residential mortgage securities is generally based on market prices provided by dealers who make a market in these types of assets. If a price is not available, the Company estimates a price based on the dealer information provided adjusted for the specifics of the asset. Residential mortgage loans are priced based on the information provided by dealers and adjusted for the loan specifics.
Allowance for Loan Losses
The Company provides an allowance for loan losses related to its loan portfolio. Loan loss provisions are based on an assessment of numerous factors affecting the portfolio of mortgage assets including, but not limited to, current and projected economic conditions, delinquency status, credit losses to date on underlying mortgages, collateral values of properties securing loans and any remaining credit protection. Loan loss provision estimates are reviewed periodically and adjustments are reported in earnings when they become known. Loans delinquent in excess of 90 days are evaluated for charge-off. Loans are charged-off when, in the opinion of management, the balance is no longer collectable.
Commercial mortgage bridge loans, when they become delinquent, are evaluated for impairment in accordance with SFAS 114 Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loanan amendment to FASB Statements No. 5 and 15. Any provisions recorded are based on cash flow analysis, discounted at the loans effective interest rate, or, if the loan is collateral dependant, on the fair value of the collateral less the estimated costs to sell.
9
Fixed Assets
The Company has capitalized costs related to long lived assets to be used in the business. These assets are depreciated or amortized on a straight line basis over their estimated useful lives, which range from two to five years.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Company borrows money through the use of reverse repurchase agreements. Under these repurchase agreements, the Company sells securities or securitized loans to a lender and agrees to repurchase the same instruments at a predetermined price and date. Although structured as a sale and repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement operates as a financing under which the Company pledges assets as collateral to secure a loan which is equal in value to a specified percentage of the estimated fair value of the pledged collateral. The Company retains beneficial ownership of the pledged collateral. At the maturity of a repurchase agreement, the Company is required to repay the loan and concurrently receives back its pledged collateral from the lender or, with the consent of the lender, the Company may renew such agreement at the then prevailing financing rate. These repurchase agreements may require the Company to pledge additional assets to the lender in the event the estimated fair value of the existing pledged collateral declines.
Should a counter-party decide not to renew a repurchase agreement at maturity, the Company must either refinance elsewhere or be in a position to satisfy this obligation. If, during the term of a repurchase agreement, a lender should file for bankruptcy, the Company might experience difficulty recovering its pledged assets and may have an unsecured claim against the lenders assets for the difference between the amount loaned to the Company and the estimated fair value of the collateral pledged to such lender. To reduce this risk, the Company enters into repurchase agreements only with investment grade institutions.
Hedging Activities
The Company enters into derivative financial instruments to manage interest rate risk and facilitate asset/liability management. All derivative financial instruments are recognized on the statement of condition as assets or liabilities at fair value as required by SFAS 133.
Derivative financial instruments that qualify under SFAS 133 for hedge accounting are designated, based on the exposure being hedged, as either fair value or cash flow hedges. Fair value hedge relationships mitigate exposure to the change in fair value of an asset, liability or firm commitment. Under the fair value hedging model, gains or losses attributable to the change in fair value of the derivative instrument, as well as the gains and losses attributable to the change in fair value of the hedged item, are recognized in earnings in the period in which the change in fair value occurs.
Cash flow hedge relationships mitigate exposure to the variability of future cash flows or other forecasted transactions. Under the cash flow hedging model, the effective portion of the gain or loss related to the derivative instrument is recognized as a component of other comprehensive income. The ineffective portion of the gain or loss related to the derivative instrument, if any, is recognized in earnings during the period of change. Amounts recorded in other comprehensive income are amortized to earnings in the period or periods during which the hedged item impacts earnings. For any derivative financial instruments not designated as fair value or cash flow hedges, gains and losses relate to the change in fair value are recognized in earnings during the period of change in fair value.
The Company formally documents all hedging relationships between hedging instruments and the hedged item, as well as its risk management objective and strategy for entering into various hedge transactions. The Company performs an assessment, at inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the hedging relationship has been highly effective in offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows of hedged items and whether they are expected to continue to be highly effective in the future.
10
The Company currently enters into interest rate swap transactions to extend the duration of its short-term liabilities funding mortgage related assets. These transactions are accounted for as cash flow hedges under SFAS 133. The Company utilizes regression analysis comparing the change in the LIBOR floating leg of its interest rate swaps to the changes in cost of its short term borrowing program. Effectiveness is measured by an R2 of between 0.80 and 1.25. Any ineffectiveness, or over hedging, is recognized in interest expense. If an effective hedge is terminated the resulting gain or loss is deferred and recognized over the remaining term of the hedge as a component of interest expense. If the anticipated short term borrowings being hedged are no longer expected to occur, the company will discontinue hedge accounting.
Collateralized Debt Obligations
The Company may in the future issue collateralized debt obligations where the collateral will be contributed to a trust. These transactions would provide long term funding for the Companys mortgage related assets. The repayment of the debt would come from the cash flows produced by the underlying collateral and any associated derivative contracts in the trust.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
The Company accounts for the mark to market on its available for sale securities and the effective portion of the mark to market on derivative financial instruments in other comprehensive income.
Other comprehensive income does not include the impact of market value changes of any assets or liabilities that are carried at cost, such as loans and securitized loans.
Interest and Fee Income
Interest is accrued monthly on outstanding principal balances unless management considers the collection of interest to be uncertain. The Company generally considers the collection of interest to be uncertain on residential loans it services when loans are contractually past due three months or more. For residential mortgages serviced by others, the accrual of interest is discontinued when the servicer has determined that the loan is not collectable and has discontinued providing an advance of the payment to the Company. The commercial mortgage bridge loans are evaluated for nonaccrual status on an individual basis when delinquent in excess of 60 days or sooner if deemed appropriate by the Company. In general, when a loan is placed on nonaccrual all accrued interest is reversed and any future income is recognized on a cash basis.
Loan fees are deferred and amortized over the expected life of the loan.
Accounting for Stock Compensation
The Company accounts for stock based awards in accordance with the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS Statement No. 123 Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation (SFAS 123).
The Company records an expense for the fair value of stock based awards. Awards to non-employee service providers are measured on the earlier of (1) the performance commitment date or (2) the date the services required under the arrangement have been completed. The fair value is measured using the Black-Scholes option pricing model over the contractual term of the award. If performance of services has already occurred, expense is recorded based on the fair value on the date of grant.
Income Taxes
The Company will elect to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code and will be taxed as such beginning with the taxable year ended
11
December 31, 2004. To qualify as a REIT, the Company must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to currently distribute at least 90% of ordinary taxable income to stockholders. As a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to federal income tax on taxable income that the Company distributes to its stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will then be subject to federal income taxes on taxable income at regular corporate rates starting with that year and will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for four years following the year during which qualification is lost unless the Internal Revenue Service were to grant relief under certain statutory provisions.
Earnings per Share (EPS)
Earnings per share is calculated under SFAS Statement No. 128 Earnings per Share. As such, the dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock is shown in the earnings per share calculation.
Recent Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2004, the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) reached a consensus on Issue 03-1, The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments. The EITF reached a consensus on an other-than-temporary impairment model for debt and equity securities accounted for under SFAS No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities, and cost method investments. The basic model developed to evaluate whether an investment within the scope of Issue 03-1 is other-than-temporarily impaired involves a three-step process including, determining whether an investment is impaired (fair value less than cost), evaluating whether the impairment is other-than-temporary and, if other-than-temporary, requiring recognition of an impairment loss equal to the difference between the investments cost and its fair value. The three-step model used to determine other-than-temporary impairments shall be applied prospectively to all current and future investments in interim or annual reporting periods beginning after June 15, 2004. In October 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued FSP 03-1-1, Effective Date of Paragraphs 10-20 of EITF 03-1, The Meaning of Other Than Temporary Impairment, delaying the effective date for the recognition and measurement guidance of EITF 03-1 until certain implementation issues are addressed and final implementation guidance is issued. The required disclosures of EITF 03-1 remain in effect and are provided in the Investment Securities footnote.
NOTE CINVESTMENT SECURITIES
The following table pertains to the Companys available for sale mortgage-backed securities as of March 31, 2005, which are carried at fair value:
(in thousands)
|
Agency Securities |
Non Agency Securities |
Total |
|||||||||
Par value |
$ | 612,959 | $ | 204,449 | $ | 817,408 | ||||||
Unamortized premium |
9,378 | 1,767 | 11,145 | |||||||||
Unamortized discount |
(667 | ) | (60 | ) | (727 | ) | ||||||
Amortized cost |
621,670 | 206,156 | 827,826 | |||||||||
Gross unrealized gains |
19 | 3 | 22 | |||||||||
Gross unrealized losses |
(7,249 | ) | (2,172 | ) | (9,421 | ) | ||||||
Estimated fair value |
$ | 614,440 | $ | 203,987 | $ | 818,427 | ||||||
All of these securities were acquired subsequent to March 31, 2004.
The Company does not believe unrealized losses, individually or in the aggregate, as of March 31, 2005 represent an other-than-temporary impairment. The unrealized losses are primarily a result of changes in interest rates and will not prohibit the Company from receiving its contractual interest and principal payments. The Company has the ability and intent to hold these securities for a period necessary to recover the amortized cost.
12
The following table shows the initial fixed interest periods for the investment securities portfolio.
Interest Reset Profile |
Fair Value (in thousands) | |
Floating |
65,924 | |
Initial 5 year fixed period |
752,503 | |
Total |
818,427 | |
NOTE DMORTGAGE LOANS
The loan balances, including securitized loans, by original fixed period are shown in the following table.
Initial Fixed Term (in thousands) |
Loan Balance |
Premium |
Book Value | |||
Fixed rates |
911 | 28 | 939 | |||
3 year fixed |
7,992 | 228 | 8,220 | |||
5 year fixed |
65,806 | 1,832 | 67,638 | |||
7 year fixed (and other) |
114,266 | 863 | 115,129 | |||
Total |
188,975 | 2,951 | 191,926 | |||
In the residential loan portfolio, five loans were past due 30 days totaling $1.5 million (or 0.78%) and one loan totaling $224,000 (or 0.12%) was delinquent in excess of 60 days.
In addition to residential mortgage loans, the Company invests in commercial mortgage bridge loans. The amounts in the table are the loan balances, which are gross of $94,000 of deferred fees. The characteristics of these loans are in the following table.
Type of Property (in millions) |
Loan Amount |
Interest Rate |
Location |
Participation | ||||||
Retail Mall (pledged) |
$ | 14.7 | 11 | % | FL | No | ||||
Resort Development |
10.0 | 10 | % | NC | Yes | |||||
Cemetery / Funeral Home |
5.7 | 10 | % | HI | Yes | |||||
Multi-Sport Facility |
4.7 | 12 | % | NJ | No | |||||
Apartments |
1.5 | 11 | % | IL | No | |||||
Total |
$ | 36.6 | ||||||||
The commercial loan portfolio contains two nonaccrual loans that total $10.4 million (or 28% of the total). These loans have been evaluated for impairment under SFAS 114 Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loanan amendment to FASB Statements No. 5 and 15.
The Cemetery / Funeral Home loan is in default, having failed to pay principal and interest when due. Our participation represents approximately 18% of the total loan. One of the participants (who holds $14.0 million of the outstanding principal balance, or 44%) has a senior priority to us in the cash flows. We are on a pari passu basis with the other participant, who is the lead lender and servicer of the loan. Foreclosure proceedings have begun on this loan. At March 31, 2005, we concluded the loan was impaired and based on the estimated net realizable value of the collateral securing the loan determined that no impairment reserve was required.
The Multi-Sport Facility loan is delinquent in excess of 90 days as of March 31, 2005, and continues to experience cash flow shortfalls due to lower than expected lease income. At March 31, 2005, we concluded the loan was impaired and based on the estimated net realizable value of the collateral securing the loan determined that no impairment reserve was required.
13
During the first quarter of 2005, the Company elected to accept a settlement offer under a title insurance policy related to the impaired loan secured by the Mansion/Conference center. Under this settlement, the Company received $5.9 million in cash on March 31, 2005 with an additional payment of $1.5 million to be paid on or before December 31, 2005.
In recording this settlement, the loan was retired, a $1.5 million insurance receivable was recorded in other assets on a discounted basis, $214,000 was recorded as interest income related to the impaired loan, and a charge-off of approximately $1.1 million was recorded against the allowance for loan losses.
The table shows the activity in the Companys allowance for loan losses.
(in thousands) |
2005 |
2004 | ||||
Balance at December 31, 2004 and 2003 |
$ | 1,333 | $ | | ||
Provision |
76 | 15 | ||||
Charge-offs |
1,054 | | ||||
Balance at March 31, 2005 and 2004 |
$ | 355 | $ | 15 | ||
NOTE ECASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
As of March 31, 2005, the Company had $22.6 million in cash and equivalents. This included both interest bearing and non-interest bearing bank balances. These balances along with other eligible collateral give the Company total liquidity, as defined, of $46.5 million exceeding the liquidity requirement of $12.5 million under the warehouse line of credit.
At March 31, 2005, none of the cash balances were pledged to support margin calls on derivatives or reverse repurchase agreements.
NOTE FHEDGING
As of March 31, 2005, the Company had hedged a portion of its interest rate risk by entering into interest rate swaps (designated as cash flow hedges) to extend the duration of its short term borrowings. For the period, no ineffectiveness was recognized. Swaps with a notional balance of $63 million were terminated at a net gain of $1.1 million during the first quarter of 2005. Any net gain or loss on terminated effective hedges is deferred and amortized into interest expense over the remaining term of the swaps. Total notional outstanding at March 31, 2005 was $749.2 million with a fair market value of $9.7 million.
(in thousands) |
Notional |
Avg Fixed Rate |
||||
Maturing in less than one year |
$ | | | % | ||
Maturing between one and two years |
338,200 | 3.06 | ||||
Maturing between two and three years |
80,060 | 3.59 | ||||
Maturing between three and five years |
330,900 | 4.17 | ||||
Maturing in over five years |
| | ||||
Total |
$ | 749,160 | 3.61 | % | ||
As of March 31, 2005, 31 swaps were in a gain position totaling $9.8 million (shown net of $1.4 million in cash collateral posted by a counter party) and one swap was in a loss position totaling $6,000. The Company has counterparty credit risk related to its swaps that are in a gain position. At March 31, 2005 the Companys maximum credit exposure to a single counterparty was $5.2 million. To mitigate this risk, the Company only enters into swap transactions with investment grade institutions.
14
NOTE GDEBT
The Company has a $250 million warehouse line of credit that is used to finance the purchase of residential mortgage loans. The commercial loan secured by the Retail Mall is also eligible collateral under this facility. This facility bears interest at LIBOR plus a spread and includes a facility fee. This facility matures on March 20, 2006.
As of March 31, 2005, there were no amounts outstanding under this facility.
On March 15, 2005, the Company issued $20 million in trust preferred securities. This debt bears interest at 90 day LIBOR plus 4.15%. The current interest rate is 7.04%.
The Company has arrangements to enter into reverse repurchase agreements with 13 financial institutions under facilities totaling $2.4 billion. Outstanding at March 31, 2005 was $943 million with a weighted average rate of 2.83% and a weighted average remaining maturity of 60 days. Securities and securitized loans pledged had a face value of $989 million and a market value of $986 million as of March 31, 2005.
As of March 31, 2005, the reverse repurchase agreements mature from April 2005 to September 2005.
As of March 31, 2005, the Company had amounts outstanding under repurchase agreements with nine lenders with a maximum net exposure (the difference between the amount loaned to the Company and the estimated fair value of the security pledged by the Company as collateral) to any single lender of approximately $9 million.
The following table summarizes the maturities of the Companys reverse repurchase agreements.
Maturing within |
Amount | ||
Overnight |
$ | 45,657 | |
Within 30 days |
391,272 | ||
30 to 90 days |
351,711 | ||
Over 90 days |
154,820 | ||
Total |
$ | 943,460 | |
NOTE HSTOCKHOLDERS EQUITY
During the quarter ended March 31, 2005, 25,000 shares of restricted stock vested. These share are now reflected as outstanding. The Company recognized expense of $58,000 and $61,000 in the quarters ended March 31, 2005 and March 31, 2004, respectively.
Options on 262,000 shares and warrants for 233,000 shares were outstanding to purchase Company common stock at $13 per share. These options and warrants were anti-dilutive, but may be dilutive in future periods. The Company recognized expense related to stock options of $18,000 and $6,000 in the quarters ended March 31, 2005 and March 31, 2004, respectively.
Other comprehensive income at March 31, 2005 consisted of a $9.4 million loss related to the mark to market of available for sale investment securities, a $9.7 million gain related to the mark to market of interest rate swaps, and $438,000 of net deferred gains on terminated effective cash flow hedges.
NOTE IINCOME TAXES
The Company will elect to be taxed as a REIT commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2004.
15
The Companys dividend to stockholders is based on its taxable income. The schedule below is provided to reconcile GAAP net income to taxable income.
Amount |
||||
GAAP net income |
$ | 1,443 | ||
Charge-off |
(1,054 | ) | ||
Vesting of restricted stock |
(236 | ) | ||
Provision |
76 | |||
Stock based compensation |
76 | |||
Other |
(34 | ) | ||
Taxable income |
$ | 271 | ||
16
Item 2. MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-Q. Historical results and trends which might appear should not be taken as indicative of future operations. Our results of operations and financial condition, as reflected in the accompanying statements and related footnotes, are subject to managements evaluation and interpretation of business conditions, changing capital market conditions, and other factors.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements in this Form 10-Q constitute forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause our actual performance to be materially different from the performance expressed or implied by such statements. These risks include our failure to successfully execute our business plan, gain access to additional financing, the availability of additional loan portfolios for future acquisition, continued qualification as a REIT, the cost of capital, as well as the additional risks and uncertainties detailed in the our periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Executive Overview
We are a self-managed REIT that was formed as a Maryland Corporation in October 2003 to acquire a portfolio of residential mortgage loans and commercial mortgage bridge loans (including loans that we will own jointly with others) in the United States. We now focus on owning, managing and financing a portfolio of mortgage assets that primarily consists of agency mortgage-backed and AAA rated securities and residential mortgage and commercial mortgage bridge loans. Our principal business objective is to maintain a portfolio of residential and commercial mortgage assets such that the interest income on our assets exceeds our costs to hedge and finance these assets.
Our fiscal year end is December 31. We will be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2004, thereby generally avoiding federal income taxes on our taxable income that we distribute currently to our stockholders.
The quarter ended March 31, 2005 is the first quarter of our second year of operations. For the quarter, we had net income of $1.4 million or $0.14 per diluted share, and our board of directors declared a dividend of $0.18 per share payable on April 21, 2005 to shareholders of record on April 11, 2005.
17
We completed our initial public offering in March of 2004. Our balance sheet comparisons show significant asset growth and most of the income statement comparisons are not meaningful due to the short period of time that we had earning assets in the prior year.
Items of note for our first quarter of 2005 were:
| Total assets at March 31, 2005 of $1.1 billion compared to $893 million at December 31, 2004 and $218 million at March 31, 2004. |
| Residential mortgage related assets at March 31, 2005 totaled $1.0 billion, compared to $818 million at December 31, 2004 and $156 million at March 31, 2004. |
| Commercial mortgage related assets at March 31, 2005 totaled $36 million, compared to $45 million at December 31, 2004 and $12 million at March 31, 2004. |
| Net interest income for the first quarter of 2005 totaled $3.5 million, compared to $3.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2004. |
| Net income for the first quarter of 2005 totaled $1.4 million, compared to $583,000 in the fourth quarter of 2004 and a loss of $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2004. |
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingencies as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate our judgments, estimates and assumptions on an on-going basis. We base our estimates on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant estimates, judgments and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
The financial statements reflect all adjustments we consider necessary, and all of these adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature.
Our loan portfolio consists of residential loans and commercial mortgage bridge loans. Due to our brief operating history, we have limited historical data related to losses inherent in our portfolio. In establishing our loan loss provision and allowance policy, we utilized publicly available information regarding losses realized on similar types of assets. This resulted in our establishing initial provision rates of 10 basis points for our
18
residential mortgage loans and 25 basis points for our commercial mortgage bridge loans. In addition to this general reserve for losses, commercial mortgages are evaluated individually for impairment. Any loan past due in excess of 60 days is evaluated, but other loans may be included in this analysis based on specific facts and circumstances. All impaired loans are evaluated in accordance with SFAS No. 114 Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loan. SFAS No. 114 requires that impaired loans are evaluated based on a discounted cash flow analysis, or, if the loan is considered collateral dependent, on the fair value of the collateral less the estimated cost to sell. Any specific allowance is established as a component of the allowance for loan losses. The ultimate net realizable value of the collateral securing our mortgage loans may impact any actual losses incurred.
We record expenses for the estimated value of stock based awards for both employees and non-employees. These awards are valued using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. This model requires assumptions related to stock price volatility, dividend yield, expected option life, and a risk free rate of return.
We also make estimates related to any hedging transactions that we enter. For our cash flow hedges of forecasted transactions, we have estimated the level of short term financing needed in the future.
For additional information on accounting policies see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Financial Condition
Total assets were $1.1 billion at March 31, 2005, which included earning assets of $1.0 billion. The earning assets break down into $1.0 billion, or 97%, related to residential mortgages and $36 million, or 3%, related to commercial mortgage bridge loans.
The residential assets are composed of $818 million of available for sale securities, $190 million of purchased loans that were subsequently securitized, and $2 million of whole loans.
Our investment portfolio consists of agency and AAA rated mortgage backed securities. The characteristics of the mortgage backed securities are outlined in the following tables.
(in thousands) |
Agency Securities |
Non Agency Securities |
Total |
|||||||||
Par value |
$ | 612,959 | $ | 204,449 | $ | 817,408 | ||||||
Unamortized premium |
9,378 | 1,767 | 11,145 | |||||||||
Unamortized discount |
(667 | ) | (60 | ) | (727 | ) | ||||||
Amortized cost |
621,670 | 206,156 | 827,826 | |||||||||
Gross unrealized gains |
19 | 3 | 22 | |||||||||
Gross unrealized losses |
(7,249 | ) | (2,172 | ) | (9,421 | ) | ||||||
Estimated fair value |
$ | 614,440 | $ | 203,987 | $ | 818,427 | ||||||
19
Interest Reset Profile |
Fair Value (in thousands) | ||
Floating |
$ | 65,924 | |
Initial 5 year fixed period |
752,503 | ||
Total |
$ | 818,427 | |
All of the securities were purchased during the last 12 months. We have reviewed the unrealized losses on the securities, and, in our opinion, none of these losses are other than temporary.
As of March 31, 2005, our residential loan portfolio (including securitized loans) totaled $192 million $900,000 in fixed rate loans, $188 million in floating rate loans and net premium of $3 million.
The floating rate loan portfolio was comprised of loans with initial fixed rate interest periods of 3 years 4%, 5 years 35%, and 7 years (and other) 61%.
As of March 31, 2005, the agency securities in our portfolio had an average of 49 months to reset and the non-agency securities had 52 months to reset.
In our residential portfolio, six loans or $1.7 million (or 0.90%) are delinquent.
In addition to the residential loans, we had a portfolio of commercial mortgage bridge loans. These loans are all carried at par. The following table outlines their relevant characteristics. The loan amounts are shown before the deduction of any deferred fees.
Type of Property (in millions) |
Loan Amount |
Interest Rate |
Location |
Participation | ||||||
Retail Mall (pledged) |
$ | 14.7 | 11 | % | FL | No | ||||
Resort Development |
10.0 | 10 | % | NC | Yes | |||||
Cemetery / Funeral Home |
5.7 | 10 | % | HI | Yes | |||||
Multi-Sport Facility |
4.7 | 12 | % | NJ | No | |||||
Apartments |
1.5 | 11 | % | IL | No | |||||
Total |
$ | 36.6 | ||||||||
During the first quarter of 2005, we elected to accept a settlement offer under our title insurance policy related to our impaired loan secured by the Mansion/Conference center. Under this settlement, we received $5.9 million in cash on March 31, 2005 with an additional payment of $1.5 million to be paid on or before December 31, 2005.
In recording this settlement, the loan was retired, a $1.5 million insurance receivable was recorded in other assets on a discounted basis, $214,000 was recorded as interest income related to the impaired loan, and a charge-off of approximately $1.1 million was recorded against the allowance for loan losses.
As of March 31, 2005, two of the loans in our commercial loan portfolio were on nonaccrual status and had an aggregate balance of $10.4 million (28% of the total by principal balance). We have evaluated these loans for impairment under SFAS 114
20
Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loanan amendment to FASB Statements No. 5 and 15. Based on our analysis, no specific impairment reserve is required.
The Cemetery / Funeral Home loan is in default, having failed to pay principal and interest when due. Our participation represents approximately 18% of the total loan. One of the participants (who holds $14.0 million of the outstanding principal balance, or 44%) has a senior priority to us in the cash flows. We are on a pari passu basis with the other participant, who is the lead lender and servicer of the loan. Foreclosure proceedings have begun on this loan. At March 31, 2005, we concluded the loan was impaired and based on the estimated net realizable value of the collateral securing the loan determined that no impairment reserve was required.
The Multi-Sport Facility loan is delinquent in excess of 90 days as of March 31, 2005, and continues to experience cash flow shortfalls due to lower than expected lease income. At March 31, 2005, we concluded the loan was impaired and based on the estimated net realizable value of the collateral securing the loan determined that no impairment reserve was required.
Our allowance for loan losses is to cover losses inherent in both our residential and commercial portfolios. Due to our brief operating history, we have limited historical data related to our specific loans. In establishing our loan loss provision and allowance policy, we utilized publicly available information regarding losses realized on similar types of assets. This resulted in our establishing initial provision rates of 10 basis points for our residential mortgage loans and 25 basis points for our commercial mortgages bridge loans. This general provision rate resulted in recording a provision of $76,000 for the first quarter of 2005 and $15,000 for the first quarter of 2004. In addition to this general reserve for losses, commercial mortgages are evaluated individually for impairment. Any loan past due in excess of 60 days is evaluated, but other loans may be included in this analysis based on specific facts and circumstances. During the first quarter of 2005, a $1.1 million charge-off was recorded in our settlement of the Mansion / Conference Center loan for which a specific reserve had been established. As of March 31, 2004 and 2005, we did not have any specific reserves for impaired loans.
On March 31, 2005, we had $22.6 million in cash and cash equivalents. These balances were maintained in available balances to meet our liquidity requirements under our borrowing arrangements and to meet our operating requirements.
Securities and securitized loans are financed through the use of reverse repurchase agreements. We had lines with 13 financial institutions as of March 31, 2005 totaling $2.4 billion. We had borrowings with nine institutions totaling $943 million in reverse repurchase agreements outstanding with an average rate of 2.83% and an average remaining maturity of 60 days.
Our borrowings generally have a shorter maturity than our assets which creates an interest rate mismatch. We use derivative instruments to extend the interest rate
21
characteristics of our borrowings. As of March 31, 2005, we had 32 fixed-pay interest rate swaps with a notional balance of $749 million outstanding. These swaps are accounted for as cash flow hedges of our forecasted borrowings.
The fair market value of the swaps is recorded on the balance sheet as a hedging asset or liability. Thirty one of the swaps are in a gain position of approximately $9.8 million shown as an asset (net of any collateral posted by counterparties), and one of the swaps is in a loss position of approximately $6,000 shown as a liability.
The maturity characteristics and average rate by maturity characteristic are shown in the following table.
(in thousands) |
Notional |
Avg Fixed Rate |
||||
Maturing in less than one year |
$ | | | % | ||
Maturing between one and two years |
338,200 | 3.06 | ||||
Maturing between two and three years |
80,060 | 3.59 | ||||
Maturing between three and five years |
330,900 | 4.17 | ||||
Maturing in over five years |
| | ||||
Total |
$ | 749,160 | 3.61 | % | ||
We renewed our warehouse line of credit under substantially the same terms, except for the commercial mortgage sub-limit. The commercial sub-limit was not renewed, except for allowing the Retail Mall loan to remain as eligible collateral until the occurrence of specific events.
On March 15, 2005, we issued $20 million in trust preferred securities. This debt offering will be used to finance our commercial loans. This debt bears interest at 90 day LIBOR plus 4.15%. For the first three month period the interest rate is 7.04%.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our net income was $1.4 million for the first quarter of 2005 compared to a loss of $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2004. The primary reason for the change in results was the result of a full quarter of operations in the first quarter of 2005 versus the first quarter of 2004 where our initial public offering occurred late in the quarter.
Net interest income for the quarter totaled $3.5 million made up of $10.2 million of interest income offset by $6.7 million of interest expense. The following tables show average earning assets / yield and the average borrowings / cost for the first quarter of 2005 and the fourth quarter of 2004 for comparative purposes.
22
First Quarter 2005 |
Avg. Balance |
Income/Expense |
Yield/Cost |
||||||
Residential assets |
$ | 878,454 | $ | 9,112 | 4.21 | % | |||
Commercial assets |
44,457 | 975 | 8.90 | ||||||
Other investments |
10,969 | 84 | 3.09 | ||||||
Total interest earning assets |
933,880 | 10,171 | 4.42 | ||||||
Other assets |
13,442 | ||||||||
Total assets |
$ | 947,322 | |||||||
Warehouse borrowing |
$ | 4,751 | 54 | 4.61 | |||||
Repurchase agreements |
814,864 | 5,270 | 2.62 | ||||||
Trust preferred borrowing |
3,556 | 64 | 7.25 | ||||||
Total borrowings |
823,171 | 5,388 | 2.65 | ||||||
Derivative expense |
1,155 | .57 | |||||||
Warehouse fee |
156 | .08 | |||||||
Total interest bearing liabilities |
823,171 | 6,699 | 3.30 | ||||||
Other liabilities |
3,196 | ||||||||
Equity |
120,955 | ||||||||
Total liabilities and equity |
$ | 947,322 | |||||||
Net interest spread |
$ | 3,472 | 1.12 | ||||||
Net interest margin |
1.51 | ||||||||
Fourth Quarter 2004 |
Avg. Balance |
Income/Expense |
Yield/Cost |
||||||
Residential assets |
$ | 754,493 | $ | 8,066 | 4.25 | % | |||
Commercial assets |
52,839 | 1,026 | 7.72 | ||||||
Other investments |
7,733 | 50 | 2.59 | ||||||
Total interest earning assets |
815,065 | 9,142 | 4.46 | ||||||
Other assets |
10,403 | ||||||||
Total assets |
$ | 825,468 | |||||||
Warehouse borrowing |
$ | 9,995 | 116 | 4.62 | |||||
Repurchase agreements |
691,943 | 3,691 | 2.12 | ||||||
Total borrowings |
701,938 | 3,807 | 2.16 | ||||||
Derivative expense |
1,380 | .78 | |||||||
Warehouse fee |
160 | .09 | |||||||
Total interest bearing liabilities |
701,938 | 5,347 | 3.03 | ||||||
Other liabilities |
3,716 | ||||||||
Equity |
119,814 | ||||||||
Total liabilities and equity |
$ | 825,468 | |||||||
Net interest spread |
$ | 3,795 | 1.43 | ||||||
Net interest margin |
1.85 | ||||||||
23
No adjustment has been made to the average balances for nonaccrual loans.
Our loan loss provision of $76,000 and $15,000 for the first quarter of 2005 and 2004 respectively, was our general loan loss provision and did not reflect any impairment provision for impaired loans.
Operating expenses for the first quarter or 2005 totaled $2.0 million and compared to $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2004. A five quarter trend of our operating expenses is shown in the following table.
Category |
2004 First Quarter |
2004 Second Quarter |
2004 Third Quarter |
2004 Fourth Quarter |
2005 First Quarter | ||||||||||
Salaries & benefits |
$ | 902 | $ | 543 | $ | 660 | $ | 759 | $ | 740 | |||||
Professional fees |
224 | 315 | 349 | 263 | 464 | ||||||||||
Facilities & equipment |
23 | 307 | 399 | 385 | 416 | ||||||||||
Insurance |
65 | 204 | 192 | 190 | 176 | ||||||||||
Credit expense |
| | | 121 | 18 | ||||||||||
Other |
326 | 124 | 156 | 228 | 139 | ||||||||||
Termination costs |
| | | 365 | | ||||||||||
Total |
$ | 1,540 | $ | 1,493 | $ | 1,756 | $ | 2,311 | $ | 1,953 | |||||
Our operating expenses in the first quarter of 2005 have increased from the fourth quarter of 2004, primarily as a result of higher professional fees. The change in expenses from the first quarter of 2004 is a reflection of the start-up nature of expenses in the prior year versus a full quarter of operating expenses in the first quarter of 2005.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We manage liquidity to ensure that we have the continuing ability to maintain cash flows that are adequate to fund operations on a timely and cost-effective basis. On March 31, 2005, we had liquidity of $46.5 million, consisting of eligible ARM assets and cash and cash equivalents. We believe that our liquidity level as of March 31, 2005 fully meets our current operating requirements.
Our primary sources of funds for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 consisted of reverse repurchase agreements, principal and interest payments, and the proceeds from the Trust Preferred offering. In the future, we expect to continue to utilize these sources as well as potentially the issuance of debt or equity securities.
Our whole loan financing facility has a committed borrowing capacity of $250 million and matures in March 2006. The interest rate on the whole loan financing facility is indexed to one-month LIBOR and is subject to daily adjustment. As of March 31, 2005, we did not have any outstanding balances under this facility.
24
The whole loan financing facility contains both financial and non-financial covenants. Significant covenants include limitations on our ability to incur indebtedness beyond specified levels, certain financial covenants and restrictions on our ability to incur liens on assets. As of March 31, 2005, we are in compliance with all financial and non-financial covenants on our whole loan financing facility.
As of March 31, 2005, we had reverse repurchase lines with 13 financial institutions with a total capacity of $2.4 billion. We had outstanding borrowings of $943 million with nine of these institutions.
At March 31, 2005, or internal allocation showed 84% of our equity was supporting the residential portfolio and 16% was supporting the commercial portfolio. The leverage associated with this equity stood at 9.6 times for residential, 1.1 times for commercial.
We continue to evaluate leverage opportunities related to the commercial portfolio and ways to more efficiently deploy our capital in support of the business. These are areas of focus for us in the coming months and quarters.
Market Risks
As a financial institution that has only invested in U.S.-dollar denominated instruments, primarily residential mortgage instruments, and has only borrowed money in the domestic market, we are not subject to foreign currency exchange or commodity price risk, but rather our market risk exposure is limited solely to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is defined as the sensitivity of our current and future earnings to interest rate volatility, variability of spread relationships, the difference in re-pricing intervals between our assets and liabilities and the effect that interest rates may have on our cash flows, especially hybrid ARM portfolio prepayments. Interest rate risk impacts our interest income, interest expense and the market value on a large portion of our assets and liabilities.
Effects of Changes in Interest Rates
Changes in interest rates will impact our earnings in various ways. We are currently invested primarily in hybrid ARM assets, which have an initial fixed rate period ranging from 36 to 84 months. To the extent that these assets are financed with shorter duration liabilities, rising short-term interest rates may temporarily negatively affect our earnings, and, conversely, falling short-term interest rates may temporarily increase our earnings. This may occur as our borrowings react to changes in interest rates sooner than our hybrid ARM assets because the weighted average next re-pricing dates of the borrowings may be shorter time periods than that of the hybrid ARM assets.
Interest rate changes may also affect our net return, both positively and negatively, given their impact on the level of prepayments experienced. In a declining rate environment (all else being equal), prepayments on mortgage-related assets tend to accelerate. This could potentially result in: having to redeploy the additional funds at lower yield levels, weighting more heavily the amount of our fixed rate financings, and accelerating any remaining unamortized premiums paid.
25
Conversely, in a rising rate environment (all else being equal), prepayments tend to decelerate. This could potentially result in: having fewer funds to redeploy at higher yield levels, weighting more heavily the amount of our floating rate financings, and extending any remaining unamortized premiums paid.
We attempt to mitigate any negative effects by managing our funding sources (fixed vs. floating) and use of the derivatives market (primarily interest rate swaps).
Interest rate changes can also impact our investment opportunities. During a rising interest rate environment, there may be less total loan origination and refinance activity. At the same time, a rising interest rate environment may result in a larger percentage of hybrid ARM products being originated, mitigating the impact of lower overall loan origination and refinance activity. Conversely, during a declining interest rate environment, consumers, in general, may favor fixed rate mortgage products, but there may be above average loan origination and refinancing volume in the industry such that even a small percentage of hybrid ARM product volume may result in sufficient investment opportunities.
Additionally, a flat yield curve may be an adverse environment for hybrid ARM products because there may be little incentive for a consumer to choose an ARM product over a 30 year fixed-rate mortgage loan and, conversely, in a steep yield curve environment, ARM products may enjoy an above average advantage over 30 year fixed-rate mortgage loans, increasing our investment opportunities. The availability and fluctuations in the volume of hybrid ARM loans being originated can also affect their yield to us as an investment opportunity. During periods of time when there is a shortage of ARM products, their yield as an investment may decline due to market forces and conversely, when there is an above average supply of ARM products, their yield to us as an investment may improve due to the same market forces.
The most important measure we use in measuring interest rate risk is the duration gap, which reflects the weighted average duration of our assets minus the weighted average duration of our liabilities. The duration measure itself is calculated by a service provider utilizing Monte Carlo simulation of 200 interest rate scenarios. At the end of the first quarter, our duration was -0.08 years. The effective duration of mortgage assets changes as interest rates change, because the cash flows of the mortgage securities we own are dependent on the realized path of interest rates. In general, as interest rates decline, the effective duration of our mortgage assets decline and vice versa. In our opinion, a duration of between plus or minus 0.15 approximates a zero duration. In addition to our duration gap, we monitor the projected market value of our interest sensitive assets and liabilities.
We calculate the fair market value in a variety of scenarios, four of which are the instantaneous parallel shift in the yield curve of plus or minus 50 and 100 basis points.
26
We assume that mortgage spreads in these scenarios are unchanged from that in the base case (interest rates unchanged). The following table reflects the market value changes of these assets for the parallel shifts in the yield curve as a percent of the fair market value of our net assets.
Instantaneous parallel shift in yield curve |
$ change in net assets (in thousands) |
Change in net assets as a % of adjusted equity |
|||||
+100 |
$ | (4,908 | ) | (4.44 | )% | ||
+50 |
(1,432 | ) | (1.29 | ) | |||
-50 |
(439 | ) | (0.40 | ) | |||
-100 |
(2,275 | ) | (2.06 | ) |
Other Matters
The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), requires that at least 75% of our total assets must be Qualified REIT Assets, as defined by the Code. The Code also requires that we meet a defined 75% source of income test and a 95% source of income test. As of March 31, 2005, we calculated that we were in compliance with each of these requirements. We also met all REIT requirements regarding the ownership of our common stock and the distributions of our net income. Therefore, as of March 31, 2005, we believe that we continue to qualify as a REIT under the provisions of the Code.
We intend to conduct our business so as not to become regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. If we were to become regulated as an investment company, our use of leverage would be substantially reduced. The Investment Company Act exempts entities that are primarily engaged in the business of purchasing or otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate (Qualifying Interests). Under current interpretation of the staff of the SEC, in order to qualify for this exemption, we must maintain at least 55% of our assets directly in Qualifying Interests. In addition, unless certain mortgage securities represent all the certificates issued with respect to an underlying pool of mortgages, such mortgage securities may be treated as securities separate from the underlying mortgage loans and, thus, may not be considered Qualifying Interests for purposes of the 55% requirement. Our calculations indicate that we are in compliance with this requirement.
27
Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The information called for by Item 3 is incorporated by reference from the information in Part I, Item 2 under the caption Market Risks.
Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Under the supervision, and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, management has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934) as of March 31, 2005, pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-14. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at March 31, 2005. There have been no changes to internal controls over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation described above during the quarter ended March 31, 2005 that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to affect our internal control over financial reporting.
28
As of March 31, 2005 there were no pending legal proceedings to which we were a party or of which any of our property was subject.
Item 2. Changes in Securities and Use of Proceeds
Not Applicable
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Not Applicable
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
The Company held its annual meeting of stockholders on May 6, 2005. At the annual meeting, the Companys stockholders elected each of the six nominees to the board of directors for a one-year term:
Nominee |
For |
Withheld |
Exception | |||
J. Bert Watson |
6,003,409 | 4,198,735 | 12,260 | |||
Rodney E. Bennett |
5,990,955 | 4,211,189 | 24,714 | |||
George A. Murray |
6,012,569 | 4,189,575 | 3,100 | |||
Joseph P. Stingone |
6,015,369 | 4,186,775 | 300 | |||
G. Steven Dawson |
6,013,469 | 4,188,675 | 2,200 | |||
George O. Deehan |
6,015,669 | 4,186,475 | |
None
(a) Exhibits see Exhibit Index
29
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
Sunset Financial Resources, Inc | ||
By: |
/s/ John Bert Watson | |
John Bert Watson | ||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
/s/ John Bert Watson |
May 12, 2005 | |||
John Bert Watson |
||||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
||||
(Principal Executive Officer) |
||||
/s/ Michael Pannell |
May 12, 2005 | |||
Michael Pannell |
||||
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
||||
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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Exhibit No. |
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31.1* | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Securities Act Rules 13A-14 and 15D-15 | |
31.2* | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Securities Act Rules 13A-14 and 15D-15 | |
32.1** | Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Executive Officer) | |
32.2** | Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Financial Officer) |
* | filed herewith |
** | furnished herewith |
31