MFA Financial, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter 2017 Financial Results

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE: MFA) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017.

Fourth Quarter 2017 and other highlights:

• MFA generated fourth quarter net income available to common shareholders of $96.8 million, or $0.24 per common share (based on 397.5 million weighted average common shares outstanding). As of December 31, 2017, book value per common share was $7.70.

• Net income increased from the prior quarter due primarily to higher income on residential whole loans held at fair value, which exhibited mark to market gains and increased cash receipts. In addition, CRT securities held at fair value increased in value as prices recovered after hurricane-related concerns in the third quarter.

• On January 31, 2018, MFA paid its fourth quarter 2017 dividend of $0.20 per share of common stock to shareholders of record as of December 28, 2017.

• MFA purchased more than $700 million of residential mortgage assets in the fourth quarter, including $554 million of residential whole loans.

Craig Knutson, MFA's President and CEO, said, "In the fourth quarter, we continued to execute our strategy of targeted investment within the residential mortgage universe with a focus on credit sensitive assets.  We grew our portfolio slightly this quarter, as acquisitions exceeded run-off, which included opportunistic sales of $20.9 million of Legacy Non-Agency MBS that generated realized gains of $9.0 million.  As we have for over five years now, we continue to manage this portfolio through selective and strategic sales of positions.

"MFA remains well-positioned to generate attractive returns despite historically low interest rates.  Through our asset selection and hedging strategy, the estimated net effective duration, a gauge of MFA's interest rate sensitivity, remains relatively low and measured 0.91 at quarter-end.  MFA's book value per common share was unchanged during the quarter at $7.70 and increased during 2017 approximately 1% as our investment strategy continues to produce stable book value. Leverage, which reflects the ratio of our financing obligations to equity, was 2.3:1 at quarter-end."

Mr. Knutson added, "MFA's portfolio asset selection process continues to emphasize residential mortgage credit exposure while seeking to minimize sensitivity to interest rates.  As housing prices maintain their upward trend and borrowers repair their credit and balance sheets, MFA's Legacy Non-Agency MBS portfolio continues to outperform our credit assumptions.  In the fourth quarter of 2017, we reduced our credit reserve on this portfolio by $17.1 million.  Also, our credit sensitive residential whole loans offer additional exposure to residential mortgage credit while affording us the opportunity to improve outcomes through sensible and effective servicing decisions."

During the fourth quarter MFA successfully purchased more than $700 million of residential mortgage assets, including $554 million of residential whole loans.  Portfolio run-off in RPL/NPL MBS, which had been elevated for the past few quarters, returned to more normal levels during the fourth quarter.

MFA's Legacy Non-Agency MBS had a face amount of $2.8 billion with an amortized cost of $2.0 billion and a net purchase discount of $806.5 million at December 31, 2017.  This discount consists of a $593.2 million credit reserve and other-than-temporary impairments and a $213.3 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 have underlying mortgage loans that are on average approximately twelve years seasoned and approximately 12.8% are currently 60 or more days delinquent.

The Agency MBS portfolio had an amortized cost basis of 103.8% of par as of December 31, 2017, and generated a 2.08% yield in the fourth quarter.  The Legacy Non-Agency MBS portfolio had an amortized cost of 71.2% of par as of December 31, 2017, and generated a loss-adjusted yield of 9.12% in the fourth quarter.  At the end of the fourth quarter, MFA held approximately $923.1 million of RPL/NPL MBS.  These securities had an amortized cost of 99.79% of par and generated a 4.27% yield for the quarter.  Our investments in CRT securities totaled $664.4 million at December 31, 2017, and generated a yield of 5.77% in the fourth quarter.  Values of our CRT securities increased during the quarter, reversing the declines experienced in the third quarter, as hurricane-related concerns subsided.

In addition, at December 31, 2017, our investments in credit sensitive residential whole loans totaled $2.2 billion.  Of this amount, $908.5 million is recorded at carrying value, or 88.4% of the interest-bearing unpaid principal balance, and generated a loss-adjusted yield of 5.88% (5.43% net of servicing costs) during the quarter, and $1.3 billion is recorded at fair value on our consolidated balance sheet.  On this portion of the portfolio, we recorded gains for the quarter of approximately $41.4 million, primarily reflecting changes in the fair value of the underlying loans, coupon interest payments and other cash received during the quarter.

For the three months ended December 31, 2017, MFA's costs for compensation and benefits and other general and administrative expenses were $9.3 million, or an annualized 1.14% of stockholders' equity as of December 31, 2017.

The following table presents the weighted average prepayment speed on MFA's MBS portfolio.

As of December 31, 2017, under its swap agreements, MFA had a weighted average fixed-pay rate of interest of 2.04% and a floating receive rate of 1.50% on notional balances totaling $2.6 billion, with an average maturity of 27 months.

The following table presents MFA's asset allocation as of December 31, 2017, and the fourth quarter 2017 yield on average interest-earning assets, average cost of funds and net interest rate spread for the various asset types.

At December 31, 2017, MFA's $5.4 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 Thursday, February 15, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss its fourth quarter 2017 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," "could," "would," "should," "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 the mortgage loans securing MFA's MBS, an increase of which could result in a reduction of the yield on MBS in our portfolio and could require us to reinvest the proceeds received by us as a result of such prepayments in MBS with lower coupons; 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 modification, foreclosure and liquidation; 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 successfully implement its strategy to grow 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 non-performing 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; 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 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.

SOURCE MFA Financial, Inc.