Ellington Financial LLC Reports First Quarter 2015 Results
Highlights
- Net increase in shareholders' equity resulting from operations ("net income") for the first quarter was
$19.3 million , or$0.57 per basic and diluted share. - Book value per share as of
March 31, 2015 was$23.01 on a diluted basis, after payment of a quarterly dividend in the first quarter of$0.65 per share, as compared to book value per share of$23.09 on a diluted basis as ofDecember 31, 2014 . - Our non-Agency strategy generated gross income of
$18.5 million for the quarter endedMarch 31, 2015 . - Our Agency strategy generated gross income of
$6.1 million for the quarter endedMarch 31, 2015 . - Our Board of Directors declared a dividend of
$0.65 per share for the first quarter of 2015, equating to an annualized dividend yield of 13.0% based on theMay 5, 2015 closing price of$20.05 ; dividends are paid quarterly in arrears.
First Quarter 2015 Results
For the quarter ended March 31, 2015, net income was
"We are pleased to announce our results for the first quarter of 2015, including net income of
"We are also pleased to announce that we purchased a stake in a third mortgage originator during the first quarter, and simultaneously entered into a flow agreement with this originator to purchase non-QM loans that meet our specifications. We expect to begin acquiring non-QM loans under this flow agreement in the next few months. During the first quarter, we also executed a one-year agreement with an auto loan originator whereby, beginning in the second quarter, we will acquire high- yielding auto loans that we believe have an attractive risk/return profile. We are very excited about these initiatives, which, similar to our other recent initiatives, represent areas where we believe that our analytical expertise, research, and systems give us an edge that enables us to capitalize on market inefficiencies and achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns."
Non-Agency
Our non-Agency strategy generated gross income in the amount of
During the first quarter, non-Agency RMBS continued to exhibit price stability relative to the broader financial markets, which experienced substantial volatility in the face of global economic weakness (especially in
During the first quarter, we were net sellers of non-Agency RMBS. Proceeds from sales of non-Agency RMBS were partially deployed into other non-Agency asset classes in which we have become more active. As of
During the first quarter, we had net losses from our interest rate hedges and credit hedges, and net gains from our foreign currency hedges. The sharp decline in interest rates led to net losses on our interest rate hedges during first quarter. Our interest rate hedges are principally in the form of interest rate swaps and to a lesser extent, Eurodollar futures. A large component of our credit hedges are in the form of short credit default swaps, or "CDS," on high-yield corporate bond indices, and options on these indices. The strength of the U.S. dollar relative to the euro and the British pound resulted in net gains on our foreign currency hedges, and a roughly offsetting amount of mark-to-market losses on our non-dollar denominated European assets. Notwithstanding the recent decline in interest rates, we continue to believe that the entire non-Agency MBS market remains vulnerable, especially to a substantial unexpected increase in long-term interest rates. We believe that our publicly traded partnership structure affords us valuable flexibility, especially with respect to our ability to reduce exposures nimbly through hedging both credit and interest rate risks.
After getting off to a weak start following a volatile fourth quarter, CMBS yield spreads generally tightened over the course of the first quarter. New issuance declined in the first quarter of 2015 relative to both the first and fourth quarters of 2014, which caused increased competition for "B-pieces" amidst reduced supply. B-pieces are the most subordinated (and therefore the highest yielding and riskiest) CMBS tranches. We continue to believe that CMBS B-pieces represent an attractive complement to our legacy CMBS holdings, which tend to be lower yielding but more liquid than CMBS B-pieces. By purchasing new issue B-pieces, we believe that we are often able to effectively "manufacture" our risk more efficiently than what is broadly available in the secondary market, and better target the collateral profiles and structures we prefer. While we remain active in this segment of the market, our recent new issue purchase activity has moderated, in part given the observably higher leverage characteristics and dispersion in quality of the underlying loans. In the first quarter, we continued to selectively add CMBS B-piece exposure, but we also sold several CMBS assets into the tighter spread environment, and on a net basis the size of our CMBS bond portfolio was relatively unchanged quarter over quarter. In our CMBS derivative portfolio, we covered some of our CMBX new issue hedges in the first quarter, and increased our positions in long CMBX referencing legacy securities. Overall, our CMBS portfolio contributed positively to net income in the first quarter, although less significantly than it did in fourth quarter, amidst reduced trading activity. As of
We remain active in distressed small balance commercial loans. As of
During the first quarter, we continued to be active in the European MBS/ABS and CLO markets. The anticipation and subsequent implementation of quantitative easing by the
Within our U.S. CLO portfolio, we remained focused on the legacy sector, where we continue to find opportunities in both mezzanine and equity tranches. In contrast, we do not believe more recent CLO issuance provides attractive risk-adjusted returns, particularly given that the underlying loans were generally originated with relaxed underwriting standards, or "covenant light" features. Net of hedges, our U.S. CLO portfolio performed well during the quarter, and contributed meaningfully to our net income. Our U.S. CLO holdings declined quarter-over-quarter, as we selectively sold certain assets that had increased in value, while other assets were optionally redeemed by issuers. Our U.S. CLO portfolio declined to
During the first quarter, we added to our portfolio of non-performing and sub-performing residential mortgage loans, or "residential NPLs." While the sales volume of residential NPLs had declined recently, NPL offerings in the first quarter of 2015 increased over 30% from the fourth quarter of 2014. Prices for residential NPLs remain relatively firm, and competition for larger pools continues to be high.
In U.S consumer loans and ABS, we have focused our investment activity on originators with long track records and the ability to provide extensive loan-level performance data for us to analyze. During the first quarter of 2015, we maintained our holdings of consumer-loan-backed ABS, but doubled the size of our consumer loan portfolio. Our U.S. consumer loan and ABS portfolio contributed meaningfully to our net income in the first quarter, and we expect its contribution to continue to increase as the portfolio continues to ramp up. As of
Our distressed corporate loan portfolio generated a small gain for the quarter, net of hedging costs. The distressed debt market experienced a soft first quarter of 2015, with many of the key sectors (oil and gas, coal, iron ore, shipping) remaining under pressure. We remain cautious on energy-related exposures and believe more attractive opportunities in this sub-sector will arise in the future. Given this backdrop, we are focusing our efforts on senior secured leveraged loans. During the first quarter, we began gaining exposure to certain distressed corporate loans using total return swaps, which effectively provide us with embedded financing for assets in which we wish to invest. We continue to hedge our portfolio with CDS on high-yield corporate bond indices. As of
Near the end of the first quarter, we made an investment in a third mortgage originator and simultaneously entered into a flow agreement whereby we will acquire non-qualified mortgage loans, or "non-QM," loans that meet our specifications. We expect that we will begin to acquire non-QM loans under this flow agreement in the coming months. After an initial ramp-up period, we would expect to finance most of the loans we acquire using reverse repurchase agreements. We plan to continue to explore making investments in mortgage originators where we believe there is an opportunity to enhance longer term enterprise value and/or establish a strategic relationship, including where we could gain access to desirable assets, such as through flow agreements.
Agency
Our Agency strategy generated gross income of
Consistent with past quarters, as of
As previously described, market volatility was high in the first quarter of 2015. The ten-year U.S. Treasury yield began the first quarter at 2.17%, fell as low as 1.64% mid-quarter, and ended the first quarter at 1.92%.
The average rate for a fixed-rate 30-year conventional mortgage also declined over the course of the quarter, dropping 0.17% to 3.70% as of
As interest rates declined sharply during the first quarter, our long specified pool positions generated significant gains. Market volatility generally presents us with trading opportunities, particularly given our active style of portfolio management. As a result, our Agency portfolio turnover for the quarter was 32% (as measured by sales and excluding paydowns), and we captured net realized gains of
During the first quarter, we continued to focus our Agency RMBS purchasing activity primarily on specified pools, especially those with higher coupons. We also continued to be active in the reverse mortgage pool sector. During the quarter we added new issue reverse mortgage pools, which we continue to believe offer attractive relative value. Our Agency RMBS portfolio also includes a small allocation to Agency IOs. Despite the increase in prepayment activity in the first quarter, the market response in this sector was relatively subdued. Option-adjusted spreads on Agency IOs widened somewhat over the quarter, but not to a significant degree. During the quarter, we slightly reduced our holdings of Agency IOs. Our overall Agency RMBS portfolio, excluding TBAs, decreased in size to
Our net Agency premium as a percentage of our long Agency RMBS holdings is one metric that we use to measure our overall prepayment risk.
Financial Results
We prepare our financial statements in accordance with ASC 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies. As a result, our investments are carried at fair value and all valuation changes are recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.
We also measure our performance based on our diluted net-asset-value-based total return, which measures the change in our diluted book value per share and assumes the reinvestment of dividends at diluted book value per share and the conversion of all convertible units into common shares at their issuance dates. Diluted net-asset-value-based total return was 2.51% for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Based on our diluted net-asset-value-based total return of 155.35% from our inception (
The following table summarizes our operating results for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
Quarter March 31, |
Per |
% of |
Quarter |
Per |
% of |
|||||||||||||||||
(In thousands, except per share amounts) |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-Agency MBS, mortgage loans, ABS, and other: |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Interest income and other investment income |
$ |
17,646 |
$ |
0.52 |
2.25 |
% |
$ |
17,365 |
$ |
0.51 |
2.17 |
% |
||||||||||
Net realized gain |
10,875 |
0.32 |
1.38 |
% |
7,442 |
0.22 |
0.93 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Change in net unrealized gain (loss) |
(6,177) |
(0.18) |
(0.79)% |
(7,250) |
(0.21) |
(0.91)% |
||||||||||||||||
Net interest rate hedges(1) |
(3,837) |
(0.11) |
(0.49)% |
(5,460) |
(0.16) |
(0.68)% |
||||||||||||||||
Net credit hedges and other activities(2) |
2,534 |
0.07 |
0.32 |
% |
(1,598) |
(0.05) |
(0.20)% |
|||||||||||||||
Interest expense |
(1,766) |
(0.05) |
(0.22)% |
(1,732) |
(0.05) |
(0.22)% |
||||||||||||||||
Other investment related expenses |
(820) |
(0.02) |
(0.10)% |
(1,092) |
(0.03) |
(0.13)% |
||||||||||||||||
Total non-Agency MBS, mortgage loans, ABS, and other profit |
18,455 |
0.55 |
2.35 |
% |
7,675 |
0.23 |
0.96 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Agency RMBS: |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Interest income |
9,008 |
0.26 |
1.15 |
% |
9,455 |
0.28 |
1.18 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Net realized gain |
6,485 |
0.19 |
0.83 |
% |
3,534 |
0.10 |
0.44 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Change in net unrealized gain (loss) |
5,280 |
0.15 |
0.67 |
% |
6,935 |
0.20 |
0.87 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Net interest rate hedges(1) |
(13,616) |
(0.40) |
(1.73)% |
(18,637) |
(0.55) |
(2.33)% |
||||||||||||||||
Interest expense |
(1,019) |
(0.03) |
(0.13)% |
(933) |
(0.03) |
(0.12)% |
||||||||||||||||
Total Agency RMBS profit |
6,138 |
0.17 |
0.79 |
% |
354 |
— |
0.04 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Total non-Agency and Agency MBS, mortgage loans, ABS, |
24,593 |
0.72 |
3.14 |
% |
8,029 |
0.23 |
1.00 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Other interest income (expense), net |
(25) |
— |
0.00 |
% |
(12) |
— |
0.00 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Other expenses |
(5,151) |
(0.15) |
(0.66)% |
(5,257) |
(0.15) |
(0.66)% |
||||||||||||||||
Net increase in equity resulting from operations |
$ |
19,417 |
$ |
0.57 |
2.48 |
% |
$ |
2,760 |
$ |
0.08 |
0.34 |
% |
||||||||||
Less: Net increase in equity resulting from operations |
156 |
123 |
||||||||||||||||||||
Net increase in shareholders' equity resulting from |
$ |
19,261 |
$ |
0.57 |
2.47 |
% |
$ |
2,637 |
$ |
0.08 |
0.33 |
% |
||||||||||
Weighted average shares and convertible units(3) outstanding |
34,091 |
34,078 |
||||||||||||||||||||
Average equity (includes non-controlling interests)(4) |
$ |
785,653 |
$ |
800,113 |
||||||||||||||||||
Weighted average shares and LTIP units outstanding(5) |
33,879 |
33,866 |
||||||||||||||||||||
Average shareholders' equity (excludes non-controlling |
$ |
779,720 |
$ |
793,442 |
(1) |
Includes TBAs and U.S. Treasuries, if applicable. |
(2) |
Includes equity strategies and related hedges. |
(3) |
Convertible units include Operating Partnership units attributable to non-controlling interests and LTIP units. |
(4) |
Average equity and average shareholders' equity are calculated using month end values. |
(5) |
Excludes Operating Partnership units attributable to non-controlling interests. |
(6) |
Per share information is calculated using weighted average shares and LTIP units outstanding. Percentage of average equity is calculated using average shareholders' equity, which excludes non-controlling interests. |
Portfolio
The following tables summarize our portfolio holdings as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
Investment Portfolio
March 31, 2015 |
December 31, 2014 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(In thousands) |
Current Principal |
Fair Value |
Average Price(1) |
Cost |
Average Cost(1) |
Current Principal |
Fair Value |
Average Price(1) |
Cost |
Average Cost(1) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-Agency RMBS |
$ |
734,243 |
$ |
483,089 |
$ |
65.79 |
$ |
451,153 |
$ |
61.44 |
$ |
876,713 |
$ |
582,162 |
$ |
66.40 |
$ |
546,596 |
$ |
62.35 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Non-Agency CMBS |
199,557 |
89,259 |
44.73 |
91,660 |
45.93 |
163,180 |
80,386 |
49.26 |
80,902 |
49.58 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other ABS and |
104,547 |
103,898 |
99.38 |
106,911 |
102.26 |
126,238 |
123,765 |
98.04 |
125,485 |
99.40 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Non-Agency MBS, mortgage loans, and Other ABS and Loans |
1,038,347 |
676,246 |
65.13 |
649,724 |
62.57 |
1,166,131 |
786,313 |
67.43 |
752,983 |
64.57 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Agency RMBS: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Floating |
15,974 |
16,995 |
106.40 |
16,900 |
105.80 |
16,002 |
16,974 |
106.07 |
17,049 |
106.54 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fixed |
953,065 |
1,034,830 |
108.58 |
1,012,092 |
106.19 |
1,032,032 |
1,111,761 |
107.73 |
1,093,421 |
105.95 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reverse |
56,122 |
62,692 |
111.71 |
61,604 |
109.77 |
52,247 |
57,554 |
110.16 |
57,274 |
109.62 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Agency RMBS |
1,025,161 |
1,114,517 |
108.72 |
1,090,596 |
106.38 |
1,100,281 |
1,186,289 |
107.82 |
1,167,744 |
106.13 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Non-Agency |
$ |
2,063,508 |
$ |
1,790,763 |
$ |
86.78 |
$ |
1,740,320 |
$ |
84.34 |
$ |
2,266,412 |
$ |
1,972,602 |
$ |
87.04 |
$ |
1,920,727 |
$ |
84.75 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Agency Interest Only RMBS |
n/a |
$ |
26,335 |
n/a |
$ |
27,832 |
n/a |
n/a |
$ |
31,385 |
n/a |
$ |
32,785 |
n/a |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-Agency Interest Only and Principal Only MBS and Other(2) |
n/a |
$ |
26,366 |
n/a |
$ |
26,291 |
n/a |
n/a |
$ |
28,194 |
n/a |
$ |
28,542 |
n/a |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
TBAs: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Long |
$ |
26,990 |
$ |
27,590 |
$ |
102.22 |
$ |
27,318 |
$ |
101.22 |
$ |
71,598 |
$ |
72,410 |
$ |
101.13 |
$ |
71,672 |
$ |
100.10 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Short |
(1,083,180) |
(1,154,779) |
106.61 |
(1,150,419) |
106.21 |
(1,135,218) |
(1,209,539) |
106.55 |
(1,205,876) |
106.22 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Short TBAs |
$ |
(1,056,190) |
$ |
(1,127,189) |
$ |
106.72 |
$ |
(1,123,101) |
$ |
106.34 |
$ |
(1,063,620) |
$ |
(1,137,129) |
$ |
106.91 |
$ |
(1,134,204) |
$ |
106.64 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Long U.S. Treasury Securities |
$ |
17,645 |
$ |
17,683 |
$ |
100.21 |
$ |
17,677 |
$ |
100.18 |
$ |
1,560 |
$ |
1,636 |
$ |
104.89 |
$ |
1,550 |
$ |
99.36 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Short U.S. Treasury Securities |
$ |
(20,536) |
$ |
(20,920) |
$ |
101.87 |
$ |
(20,575) |
$ |
100.19 |
$ |
(24,485) |
$ |
(24,709) |
$ |
100.92 |
$ |
(24,602) |
$ |
100.48 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Short European Sovereign Bonds |
$ |
(19,039) |
$ |
(20,183) |
$ |
106.01 |
$ |
(22,575) |
$ |
118.57 |
$ |
(28,118) |
$ |
(30,606) |
$ |
108.85 |
$ |
(32,008) |
$ |
113.83 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Repurchase Agreements |
$ |
44,755 |
$ |
44,754 |
$ |
100.00 |
$ |
45,073 |
$ |
100.71 |
$ |
172,002 |
$ |
172,001 |
$ |
100.00 |
$ |
172,001 |
$ |
100.00 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Corporate Debt |
$ |
34,484 |
$ |
31,836 |
$ |
92.32 |
$ |
33,293 |
$ |
96.55 |
$ |
46,006 |
$ |
42,708 |
$ |
92.83 |
$ |
43,585 |
$ |
94.74 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Non-Exchange Traded Preferred and Common Equity Investment in Mortgage-Related Entities |
n/a |
$ |
16,162 |
n/a |
$ |
16,295 |
n/a |
n/a |
$ |
11,652 |
n/a |
$ |
11,890 |
n/a |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-Exchange Traded Corporate Equity |
n/a |
$ |
5,138 |
n/a |
$ |
4,979 |
n/a |
n/a |
$ |
2,860 |
n/a |
$ |
2,827 |
n/a |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Short Common Stock |
n/a |
$ |
— |
n/a |
$ |
— |
n/a |
n/a |
$ |
(26,516) |
n/a |
$ |
(27,605) |
n/a |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Real Estate Owned |
n/a |
$ |
9,070 |
n/a |
$ |
8,646 |
n/a |
n/a |
$ |
8,635 |
n/a |
$ |
8,748 |
n/a |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Net Investments |
$ |
799,815 |
$ |
754,155 |
$ |
1,052,713 |
$ |
1,004,236 |
(1) |
Represents the dollar amount, per $100 of current principal of the price or cost for the security. |
(2) |
Includes equity tranches and similar securities. |
Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS are generally securitized in senior/subordinated structures, or in excess spread/over-collateralization structures. Disregarding TBAs, Agency RMBS consist primarily of whole-pool pass through certificates. We actively invest in the TBA market. TBAs are forward-settling Agency RMBS where the mortgage pass-through certificates to be delivered are "To-Be-Announced." Given that we use TBAs primarily to hedge the risk of rising interest rates on our long holdings, we generally carry a net short TBA position.
Derivatives Portfolio(1)
March 31, 2015 |
December 31, 2014 |
|||||||||||||||
Notional Value |
Fair Value |
Notional Value |
Fair Value |
|||||||||||||
(In thousands) |
||||||||||||||||
Mortgage-Related Derivatives: |
||||||||||||||||
Long CDS on RMBS and CMBS Indices |
$ |
34,304 |
$ |
(5,641) |
$ |
20,847 |
$ |
(4,187) |
||||||||
Short CDS on RMBS and CMBS Indices |
(89,105) |
2,332 |
(71,031) |
1,658 |
||||||||||||
Short CDS on Individual RMBS |
(19,986) |
10,570 |
(20,691) |
11,148 |
||||||||||||
Net Mortgage-Related Derivatives |
(74,787) |
7,261 |
(70,875) |
8,619 |
||||||||||||
Long CDS referencing Corporate Bond Indices |
337,251 |
48,235 |
315,739 |
34,634 |
||||||||||||
Short CDS referencing Corporate Bond Indices |
(284,968) |
(28,976) |
(352,945) |
(27,357) |
||||||||||||
Long CDS on Corporate Bonds |
1,980 |
(771) |
4,428 |
(2,706) |
||||||||||||
Short CDS on Corporate Bonds |
(9,970) |
(368) |
(5,970) |
(247) |
||||||||||||
Purchased Options on CDS on Corporate Bond |
156,950 |
21 |
364,400 |
625 |
||||||||||||
Written Options on CDS on Corporate Bond Indices(3) |
(218,500) |
(431) |
(25,900) |
(146) |
||||||||||||
Long Total Return Swaps on Corporate Equities(4) |
66,114 |
(17) |
72,950 |
(13) |
||||||||||||
Short Total Return Swaps on Corporate Equities(4) |
(89,620) |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Long Total Return Swaps on Corporate Loans(5) |
27,455 |
(189) |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Interest Rate Derivatives: |
||||||||||||||||
Long Interest Rate Swaps |
1,327,326 |
21,497 |
1,247,477 |
22,565 |
||||||||||||
Short Interest Rate Swaps |
(1,818,044) |
(24,535) |
(1,652,647) |
(23,316) |
||||||||||||
Long U.S. Treasury Note Futures(6) |
168,200 |
993 |
159,900 |
149 |
||||||||||||
Long Eurodollar Futures(7) |
39,000 |
23 |
11,000 |
7 |
||||||||||||
Long Equity Index Futures (8) |
9,067 |
(8) |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Short Eurodollar Futures(7) |
(645,000) |
(417) |
(699,000) |
24 |
||||||||||||
Purchased Payer Swaptions |
45,000 |
2,212 |
1,082,800 |
207 |
||||||||||||
Written Payer Swaptions |
(158,500) |
(1,751) |
(10,200) |
— |
||||||||||||
Written Straddle Swaptions |
(4,600) |
(68) |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Purchased Options on U.S. Treasury Security Futures(9) |
7,200 |
77 |
11,000 |
20 |
||||||||||||
Purchased Options on Eurodollar Futures(10) |
130,000 |
6 |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Total Net Interest Rate Derivatives |
(1,971) |
(344) |
||||||||||||||
Other Derivatives: |
||||||||||||||||
Long Foreign Currency Forwards(11) |
4,033 |
(4) |
9,518 |
(136) |
||||||||||||
Short Foreign Currency Forwards(12) |
(54,342) |
(713) |
(35,966) |
884 |
||||||||||||
Warrants(13) |
1,554 |
100 |
1,554 |
100 |
||||||||||||
Total Net Derivatives |
$ |
22,177 |
$ |
13,913 |
(1) |
In the table above, fair value of certain derivative transactions are shown on a net basis. The accompanying financial statements separate derivative transactions as either assets or liabilities. As of March 31, 2015, derivative assets and derivative liabilities were $89.8 million and $67.7 million, respectively, for a net fair value of $22.2 million, as reflected in "Total Net Derivatives" above. As of December 31, 2014, derivative assets and derivative liabilities were $80.0 million and $66.1 million, respectively, for a net fair value of $13.9 million, as reflected in "Total Net Derivatives" above. |
(2) |
Represents the option on our part to enter into a CDS on a corporate bond index whereby we would pay a fixed rate and receive credit protection payments. |
(3) |
Represents the option on the part of a counterparty to enter into a CDS on a corporate bond index whereby we would pay a fixed rate and receive credit protection payments. |
(4) |
Notional value represents number of underlying shares times the closing price of the underlying security. |
(5) |
Notional value represents outstanding principal balance on underlying corporate debt. |
(6) |
Notional value represents the total face amount of U.S. Treasury Notes underlying all contracts held. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, a total of 1,191 and 1,346 contracts were held, respectively. |
(7) |
Every $1,000,000 in notional value represents one contract. |
(8) |
Notional value represents the number of contracts held times 50 times the Index price at March 31, 2015; as of March 31, 2015, 88 contracts were held. |
(9) |
Represents the option on our part to enter into a futures contract with a counterparty; as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, 72 contracts and 110 contracts were held, respectively. |
(10) |
Represents the option on the part of a counterparty to enter into a futures contract with the Company. Every $1,000,000 in notional value represents one contract. |
(11) |
Notional amount represents U.S. Dollars to be paid by us at the maturity of the forward contract. |
(12) |
Notional amount represents U.S. Dollars to be received by us at the maturity of the forward contract. |
(13) |
Notional amount represents number of warrants. |
Our net short positions in RMBS and CMBS indices reference underlying exposures in several vintage years, including 2005-2008 and 2012. Net long and net short total return swaps on corporate equities are principally comprised of long and short equity positions in certain publicly traded REITs. The mix and composition of our derivative instruments may vary from period to period.
The following table summarizes, as of March 31, 2015, the estimated effects on the value of our portfolio, both overall and by category, of hypothetical, immediate, 50 basis point downward and upward parallel shifts in interest rates.
Estimated Change in Value (1) |
||||||||
(In thousands) |
50 Basis Point Decline in Interest Rates |
50 Basis Point Increase in Interest Rates |
||||||
Agency RMBS - ARM Pools |
$ |
104 |
$ |
(129) |
||||
Agency RMBS - Fixed Pools and IOs |
16,321 |
(22,146) |
||||||
TBAs |
(14,344) |
21,019 |
||||||
Non-Agency RMBS, CMBS, Other ABS, and Mortgage Loans |
4,965 |
(4,784) |
||||||
Interest Rate Swaps |
(6,342) |
6,006 |
||||||
Options on Interest Rate Swaps and Futures |
(399) |
18 |
||||||
U.S. Treasury Securities |
(640) |
580 |
||||||
Eurodollar and U.S. Treasury Futures |
2,318 |
(2,318) |
||||||
Mortgage-Related Derivatives |
(351) |
602 |
||||||
Corporate Securities and Derivatives on Corporate Securities |
(1,386) |
(1,278) |
||||||
Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
(628) |
803 |
||||||
$ |
(382) |
$ |
(1,627) |
(1) |
Based on the market environment as of March 31, 2015. The preceding analysis does not include sensitivities to changes in interest rates for instruments for which we believe that the effect of a change in interest rates is not material to the value of the overall portfolio and/or cannot be accurately estimated. In particular, this analysis excludes certain corporate securities and derivatives on corporate securities, and reflects only sensitivity to U.S. interest rates. Results are based on forward-looking models, which are inherently imperfect, and incorporate various simplifying assumptions. Therefore, the table above is for illustrative purposes only and actual changes in interest rates would likely cause changes in the actual value of our overall portfolio that would differ from those presented above and such differences might be significant and adverse. |
Borrowed Funds and Liquidity(1)
By Collateral Type
As of March 31, 2015 |
For the Quarter Ended |
As of |
For the Quarter Ended |
|||||||||||||||||||
Collateral for Borrowing |
Outstanding Borrowings |
Average Borrowings |
Average Cost of Funds |
Outstanding |
Average |
Average |
||||||||||||||||
(In thousands) |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-Agency RMBS, CMBS, and Other |
$ |
315,802 |
$ |
347,815 |
2.07 |
% |
$ |
399,981 |
$ |
328,830 |
2.09 |
% |
||||||||||
Agency RMBS |
1,079,881 |
1,139,489 |
0.36 |
% |
1,145,821 |
1,064,154 |
0.35 |
% |
||||||||||||||
Total Excluding U.S. Treasury |
1,395,683 |
1,487,304 |
0.76 |
% |
1,545,802 |
1,392,984 |
0.76 |
% |
||||||||||||||
U.S. Treasury Securities |
429 |
17,922 |
0.10 |
% |
123,631 |
489,645 |
(0.13)% |
|||||||||||||||
Total |
$ |
1,396,112 |
$ |
1,505,226 |
0.75 |
% |
$ |
1,669,433 |
$ |
1,882,629 |
0.53 |
% |
||||||||||
Leverage Ratio (2) |
1.78:1 |
2.12:1 |
||||||||||||||||||||
Leverage Ratio Excluding U.S. |
1.78:1 |
1.96:1 |
(1) |
Borrowed amounts exclude $0.7 million and $0.8 million in securitized debt as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, representing long term financing for the related asset. |
(2) |
The leverage ratio does not account for liabilities other than debt financings. Our debt financings consist solely of reverse repurchase agreements ("reverse repos") and a securitized debt financing in the amount of $0.7 million and $0.8 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. |
From time to time we may have outstanding reverse repo on our positions in long U.S. Treasury securities. Our leverage ratio (excluding reverse repo borrowings on U.S. Treasury securities) decreased slightly to 1.78:1 as of
By Remaining Maturity (1)(2)
(In thousands) |
As of March 31, 2015 |
As of December 31, 2014 |
||||||||||||
Remaining Maturity (3) |
Outstanding Borrowings |
% of Borrowings |
Outstanding |
% of |
||||||||||
30 Days or Less |
$ |
503,021 |
36.0 |
% |
$ |
715,194 |
42.8 |
% |
||||||
31-60 Days |
336,857 |
24.1 |
% |
322,874 |
19.3 |
% |
||||||||
61-90 Days |
281,189 |
20.2 |
% |
289,276 |
17.3 |
% |
||||||||
91-120 Days |
22,413 |
1.6 |
% |
— |
— |
% |
||||||||
121-150 Days |
— |
— |
% |
21,236 |
1.3 |
% |
||||||||
151-180 Days |
87,741 |
6.3 |
% |
123,484 |
7.4 |
% |
||||||||
181-360 Days |
23,503 |
1.7 |
% |
47,768 |
2.9 |
% |
||||||||
> 360 Days |
141,388 |
10.1 |
% |
149,601 |
9.0 |
% |
||||||||
$ |
1,396,112 |
100.0 |
% |
$ |
1,669,433 |
100.0 |
% |
(1) |
Borrowed amounts exclude $0.7 million and $0.8 million in securitized debt as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, representing long term financing for the related asset. |
(2) |
Reverse repos involving underlying investments that we had sold prior to the applicable period end for settlement following the applicable period end, are shown using their original maturity dates even though such reverse repos may be expected to be terminated early upon settlement of the sale of the underlying investment. Not included are any reverse repos that we may have entered into prior to the applicable period end for which delivery of the borrowed funds is not scheduled until after the applicable period end. |
(3) |
Remaining maturity for a reverse repo is based on the contractual maturity date in effect as of the applicable period end. Some reverse repos have floating interest rates, which may reset before maturity. |
Substantially all of our borrowed funds are in the form of reverse repos. Aside from borrowings under reverse repos, we also had a de minimis amount of securitized debt outstanding as of
Our borrowings outstanding under reverse repos were with a total of sixteen counterparties as of March 31, 2015. As of March 31, 2015, we held liquid assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents in the amount of
Derivatives/Hedging and Other Investments Summary
The following table summarizes the components of our derivatives/hedging and other investment results for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
(In thousands) |
Quarter Ended March 31, 2015 |
Quarter Ended December 31, 2014 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Hedges: |
Net Interest Expense(1) |
Net Realized and Gain (Loss) |
Total |
Net Interest Expense(1) |
Net Realized and |
Total |
||||||||||||||||||
Interest Rate Swaps |
$ |
(1,217) |
$ |
(8,082) |
$ |
(9,299) |
$ |
(1,306) |
$ |
(15,933) |
$ |
(17,239) |
||||||||||||
Swaptions |
— |
(1,459) |
(1,459) |
— |
(2,392) |
(2,392) |
||||||||||||||||||
Futures |
— |
(525) |
(525) |
— |
(38) |
(38) |
||||||||||||||||||
Net TBAs Held Short |
— |
(5,612) |
(5,612) |
— |
(9,272) |
(9,272) |
||||||||||||||||||
Net U.S. Treasuries Held Long |
(44) |
(514) |
(558) |
1,843 |
3,000 |
4,843 |
||||||||||||||||||
Total Interest Rate Hedges |
(1,261) |
(16,192) |
(17,453) |
537 |
(24,635) |
(24,098) |
||||||||||||||||||
Net Credit Hedges and other |
(1,558) |
4,092 |
2,534 |
(3,211) |
1,613 |
(1,598) |
||||||||||||||||||
Total Hedges |
$ |
(2,819) |
$ |
(12,100) |
$ |
(14,919) |
$ |
(2,674) |
$ |
(23,022) |
$ |
(25,696) |
(1) |
Net interest expense represents fixed rate periodic payments made by us. |
(2) |
Net interest expense includes dividend expense related to common stock sold short. |
Other
Our expense ratio, which we define as our annualized base management fee and other operating expenses, but excluding interest expense, other investment related expenses, and incentive fees, over average equity, was 2.6% for each of the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. We did not incur incentive fee expense for either the first or fourth quarter.
Dividends
On
Share Repurchase Program
On August 4, 2011, our Board of Directors approved the adoption of a
About
Conference Call
We will host a conference call at
A dial-in replay of the conference call will be available on Thursday, May 7, 2015, at approximately
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from our beliefs, expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements are not historical in nature and can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "would," "could," "goal," "objective," "will," "may," "seek," or similar expressions or their negative forms, or by references to strategy, plans, or intentions. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include without limitation management's beliefs regarding the current economic and investment environment and our ability to implement our investment and hedging strategies, performance of our investment and hedging strategies, our exposure to prepayment risk in our Agency portfolio, statements regarding our net Agency premium, estimated effects on the fair value of our MBS and interest rate derivative holdings of a hypothetical change in interest rates, statements regarding the drivers of our returns, our expected ongoing annualized expense ratio, and statements regarding our intended dividend policy including the amount to be recommended by management, and our share repurchase program. Our results can fluctuate from month to month and from quarter to quarter depending on a variety of factors, some of which are beyond our control and/or are difficult to predict, including, without limitation, changes in interest rates and the market value of our securities, changes in mortgage default rates and prepayment rates, our ability to borrow to finance our assets, changes in government regulations affecting our business, our ability to maintain our exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and other changes in market conditions and economic trends. Furthermore, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, those described under Item 1A of the our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 13, 2015 which can be accessed through our website at www.ellingtonfinancial.com or at the
ELLINGTON FINANCIAL LLC |
||||||||
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS |
||||||||
(UNAUDITED) |
||||||||
Three Month Period Ended |
||||||||
(In thousands, except per share amounts) |
March 31, 2015 |
December 31, 2014 |
||||||
Investment income |
||||||||
Interest income |
$ |
26,513 |
$ |
28,688 |
||||
Other investment income |
293 |
150 |
||||||
Total investment income |
26,806 |
28,838 |
||||||
Expenses |
||||||||
Base management fee |
2,952 |
2,963 |
||||||
Interest expense |
2,986 |
2,705 |
||||||
Other investment related expenses |
1,202 |
1,810 |
||||||
Other operating expenses |
2,199 |
2,295 |
||||||
Total expenses |
9,339 |
9,773 |
||||||
Net investment income |
17,467 |
19,065 |
||||||
Net realized gain (loss) on: |
||||||||
Investments |
9,734 |
(28) |
||||||
Financial derivatives, excluding currency forwards(1) |
(5,834) |
(2,970) |
||||||
Financial derivatives—currency forwards(1) |
5,796 |
834 |
||||||
Foreign currency transactions |
733 |
(283) |
||||||
10,429 |
(2,447) |
|||||||
Change in net unrealized gain (loss) on: |
||||||||
Investments |
693 |
(838) |
||||||
Financial derivatives, excluding currency forwards(1) |
(2,644) |
(12,469) |
||||||
Financial derivatives—currency forwards(1) |
(1,465) |
351 |
||||||
Foreign currency translation |
(5,063) |
(902) |
||||||
(8,479) |
(13,858) |
|||||||
Net realized and change in net unrealized gain (loss) on investments and financial |
1,950 |
(16,305) |
||||||
Net increase in equity resulting from operations |
19,417 |
2,760 |
||||||
Less: Increase in equity resulting from operations attributable to non-controlling |
156 |
123 |
||||||
Net increase in shareholders' equity resulting from operations |
$ |
19,261 |
$ |
2,637 |
||||
Net increase in shareholders' equity resulting from operations per share: |
||||||||
Basic and diluted |
$ |
0.57 |
$ |
0.08 |
||||
Weighted average shares and LTIP units outstanding |
33,879 |
33,866 |
||||||
Weighted average shares and convertible units outstanding |
34,091 |
34,078 |
(1) |
Prior period conformed to current period presentation. |
ELLINGTON FINANCIAL LLC |
||||||||
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ASSETS, LIABILITIES AND EQUITY |
||||||||
(UNAUDITED) |
||||||||
As of |
||||||||
(In thousands, except share amounts) |
March 31, 2015 |
December 31, |
||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
156,250 |
$ |
114,140 |
||||
Investments, financial derivatives, and repurchase agreements: |
||||||||
Investments, at fair value (Cost – $1,902,651, and $2,122,326) |
1,950,943 |
2,172,082 |
||||||
Financial derivatives–assets, at fair value (Net cost – $78,599 and $61,560) |
89,844 |
80,029 |
||||||
Repurchase agreements (Cost – $45,073 and $172,001) |
44,754 |
172,001 |
||||||
Total Investments, financial derivatives, and repurchase agreements |
2,085,541 |
2,424,112 |
||||||
Due from brokers |
112,763 |
146,965 |
||||||
Receivable for securities sold |
1,230,339 |
1,237,592 |
||||||
Interest and principal receivable |
15,635 |
20,611 |
||||||
Other assets |
2,484 |
1,935 |
||||||
Total assets |
$ |
3,603,012 |
$ |
3,945,355 |
||||
LIABILITIES |
||||||||
Investments and financial derivatives: |
||||||||
Investments sold short, at fair value (Proceeds – $1,193,569 and $1,290,091) |
$ |
1,195,882 |
$ |
1,291,370 |
||||
Financial derivatives–liabilities, at fair value (Net proceeds – $37,184 and $33,555) |
67,667 |
66,116 |
||||||
Total investments and financial derivatives |
1,263,549 |
1,357,486 |
||||||
Reverse repurchase agreements |
1,396,112 |
1,669,433 |
||||||
Due to brokers |
32,778 |
22,224 |
||||||
Payable for securities purchased |
116,276 |
98,747 |
||||||
Securitized debt (Proceeds – $663 and $749) |
669 |
774 |
||||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
3,218 |
2,798 |
||||||
Base management fee payable |
2,953 |
2,963 |
||||||
Interest and dividends payable |
2,020 |
2,386 |
||||||
Other liabilities |
13 |
— |
||||||
Total liabilities |
2,817,588 |
3,156,811 |
||||||
EQUITY |
785,424 |
788,544 |
||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY |
$ |
3,603,012 |
$ |
3,945,355 |
||||
ANALYSIS OF EQUITY: |
||||||||
Common shares, no par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; |
||||||||
(33,449,678 and 33,449,678 shares issued and outstanding) |
$ |
770,051 |
$ |
772,811 |
||||
Additional paid-in capital–LTIP units |
9,440 |
9,344 |
||||||
Total Shareholders' Equity |
779,491 |
782,155 |
||||||
Non-controlling interests |
5,933 |
6,389 |
||||||
Total Equity |
$ |
785,424 |
$ |
788,544 |
||||
PER SHARE INFORMATION: |
||||||||
Common shares, no par value |
$ |
23.30 |
$ |
23.38 |
||||
DILUTED PER SHARE INFORMATION: |
||||||||
Common shares and convertible units, no par value (2) |
$ |
23.01 |
$ |
23.09 |
(1) |
Derived from audited financial statements as of December 31, 2014. |
(2) |
Based on total equity excluding non-controlling interests not represented by instruments convertible into common shares. |
Investor Contact:
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