Company Highlights:

• GAAP net loss of $59.3 million, or $0.54 per diluted common share
• Core earnings of $40.7 million, or $0.31 per diluted common share1
• Declares a cash dividend on common stock of $0.30 per share
• Issued $275.0 million of 4.50% senior unsecured notes due in 2027

Agency Business

• Loan originations of $1.08 billion and a servicing portfolio of $20.20 billion
• Segment income of $36.1 million, excluding a $47.7 million loss on derivative instruments and a $22.0 million CECL loss provision

Structured Business

• Portfolio growth of 12% on $856.2 million of loan originations
• Closed our largest collateralized securitization vehicle of $800.0 million
• Segment income of $17.3 million, excluding a $53.9 million CECL loss provision

Recent Development:

• Issued $40.5 million of 8.00% senior unsecured notes due in 2023

UNIONDALE, N.Y., May 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR), today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020.  Arbor reported a net loss for the quarter of $59.3 million, or $0.54 per diluted common share, compared to net income of $22.7 million, or $0.26 per diluted common share for the quarter ended March 31, 2019.  Core earnings for the quarter was $40.7 million, or $0.31 per diluted common share, compared to $36.1 million, or $0.33 per diluted common share for the quarter ended March 31, 2019.1

At March 31, 2020, GAAP book value per share was $8.68, as compared to $9.73 at December 31, 2019. The decrease in book value was primarily due to $104.5 million, or $0.80 per share, of estimated credit losses on our portfolios, including the adoption of the new accounting standard for current expected credit losses, or “CECL,” as well as $50.7 million, or $0.39 per share, of losses on derivative instruments associated with loans that have not yet been sold or securitized.

Agency Business

Loan Origination Platform

For the quarter ended March 31, 2020, the Agency Business generated revenues (excluding gains and losses on derivative instruments) of $59.6 million, compared to $64.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2019. Gain on sales, including fee-based services, net was $14.3 million for the quarter, reflecting a margin of 1.49% on loan sales, compared to $13.8 million and 1.55% for the fourth quarter of 2019. Income from mortgage servicing rights was $21.9 million for the quarter, reflecting a rate of 1.73% as a percentage of loan commitments, compared to $27.9 million and 2.32% for the fourth quarter of 2019.   

At March 31, 2020, loans held-for-sale was $991.7 million which was primarily comprised of unpaid principal balances totaling $978.7 million, with financing associated with these loans totaling $790.7 million.

Fee-Based Servicing Portfolio

Our fee-based servicing portfolio totaled $20.20 billion at March 31, 2020, an increase of 0.7% from December 31, 2019, primarily a result of $799.6 million of new loan originations (excluding $282.3 million of private label loans that are yet to be sold), net of $661.6 million in portfolio runoff during the quarter. Servicing revenue, net was $13.3 million for the quarter and consisted of servicing revenue of $25.1 million, net of amortization of mortgage servicing rights totaling $11.8 million.

Loans sold under the Fannie Mae program contain an obligation to partially guarantee the performance of the loan (“loss-sharing obligations”), and includes $32.4 million for the fair value of the guarantee obligation undertaken at March 31, 2020. The Company’s loss-sharing obligations associated with CECL were $38.4 million, including a $14.4 millionJanuary 1, 2020 adoption adjustment, representing 0.26% of the Fannie Mae servicing portfolio at March 31, 2020.

Structured Business

Portfolio and Investment Activity

• Originated 47 loans totaling $856.2 million, of which $798.2 million was funded at March 31, 2020, and consisted primarily of 34 bridge loans totaling $785.1 million
• Payoffs and pay downs on 21 loans totaling $275.3 million
• Portfolio growth of $520.9 million, or 12%
• No material loan modifications that resulted in interest rate concessions
• Provision for loan losses of $54.4 million from CECL

At March 31, 2020, the loan and investment portfolio’s unpaid principal balance, excluding loan loss reserves, was $4.80 billion, with a weighted average current interest pay rate of 5.70%, compared to $4.29 billion and 5.98% at December 31, 2019.  Including certain fees earned and costs associated with the loan and investment portfolio, the weighted average current interest pay rate was 6.35% at March 31, 2020, compared to 6.68% at December 31, 2019.

The average balance of the Company’s loan and investment portfolio during the first quarter of 2020, excluding loan loss reserves, was $4.58 billion with a weighted average yield of 6.77%, compared to $4.02 billion and 7.18% for the fourth quarter of 2019. The decrease in average yield was primarily due to lower rates on originations when compared to runoff and a decrease in LIBOR in the first quarter as compared to the fourth quarter.

During the first quarter of 2020, the Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $54.4 million as a result of its loan review process including the newly adopted CECL credit loss standard which included a January 1, 2020 CECL adoption adjustment of $17.3 million. At March 31, 2020, the Company’s total allowance for loan losses was $142.3 million.  The Company had four non-performing loans with a carrying value of $8.3 million, before related loan loss reserves of $6.5 million, compared to three loans with a carrying value of $3.5 million, before related loan loss reserves of $1.7 million as of December 31, 2019.

Financing Activity

The Company completed a collateralized securitization vehicle (“CLO XIII”) totaling $800.0 million of real estate related assets and cash. Investment grade-rated notes totaling $668.0 million were issued, and the Company retained subordinate interests in the issuing vehicle of $132.0 million. The facility has a three-year asset replenishment period and an initial weighted average interest rate of 1.41% over LIBOR, excluding fees and transaction costs.

The Company completed the unwind of CLO VIII, redeeming $282.9 million of outstanding notes, which were repaid primarily from the refinancing of the remaining assets primarily within CLO XIII, as well as with cash held by CLO VIII, and expensed $1.5 million of deferred financing fees into loss on extinguishment of debt on the consolidated statements of operations.

The balance of debt that finances the Company’s loan and investment portfolio at March 31, 2020 was $4.70 billion with a weighted average interest rate including fees of 3.68% as compared to $3.93 billion and a rate of 4.35% at December 31, 2019. The average balance of debt that finances the Company’s loan and investment portfolio for the first quarter of 2020 was $4.25 billion, as compared to $3.76 billion for the fourth quarter of 2019. The average cost of borrowings for the first quarter of 2020 was 4.11%, compared to 4.46% for the fourth quarter of 2019. The decrease in average costs was primarily due to a decrease in LIBOR and the issuance of lower cost CLO debt.

The Company is subject to various financial covenants and restrictions under the terms of its collateralized securitization vehicles, financing facilities and unsecured debt. The Company believes it was in compliance with all financial covenants and restrictions as of March 31, 2020 and as of the most recent collateralized securitization vehicle determination dates in April 2020.

Capital Markets

The Company issued $275.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.50% senior unsecured notes due in 2027 in a private placement, generating net proceeds of $271.8 million after deducting offering expenses. The Company used a significant portion of the proceeds to repay secured indebtedness.

In April 2020, the Company issued $40.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 8.00% senior unsecured notes in a private placement, generating net proceeds of $39.8 million after deducting offering expenses. The notes are due in 2023 and the proceeds were used to repay secured indebtedness, make investments relating to its business and for general corporate purposes.

Dividends

The Company announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. The dividend is payable on July 15, 2020 to common stockholders of record on June 30, 2020. The ex-dividend date is June 29, 2020.

As previously announced, the Board of Directors has declared cash dividends on the Company's Series A, Series B and Series C cumulative redeemable preferred stock reflecting accrued dividends from March 1, 2020 through May 31, 2020. The dividends are payable on June 1, 2020 to preferred stockholders of record on May 15, 2020. The Company will pay total dividends of $0.515625, $0.484375 and $0.53125 per share on the Series A, Series B and Series C preferred stock, respectively.

Earnings Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.  A live webcast and replay of the conference call will be available at http://www.arbor.com in the investor relations section of the Company’s website. Those without web access should access the call telephonically at least ten minutes prior to the conference call. The dial-in numbers are (866) 516-5034 for domestic callers and (678) 509-7613 for international callers. Please use participant passcode 6874348.

A telephonic replay of the call will be available until May 15, 2020. The replay dial-in numbers are (855) 859-2056 for domestic callers and (404) 537-3406 for international callers. Please use passcode 6874348.

About Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR) is a nationwide real estate investment trust and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare and other diverse commercial real estate assets. Headquartered in New York, Arbor manages a multibillion-dollar servicing portfolio, specializing in government-sponsored enterprise products. Arbor is a Fannie Mae DUS® lender and Freddie Mac Optigo Seller/Servicer. Arbor’s product platform also includes CMBS, bridge, mezzanine and preferred equity lending. Rated by Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, Arbor is committed to building on its reputation for service, quality and customized solutions with an unparalleled dedication to providing our clients excellence over the entire life of a loan.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain items in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Arbor can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Arbor’s expectations include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions generally, and the real estate markets specifically, in particular, due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, continued ability to source new investments, changes in interest rates and/or credit spreads, and other risks detailed in Arbor’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and its other reports filed with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Arbor expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Arbor’s expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

1. Non-GAAP Financial Measures

During the quarterly earnings conference call, the Company may discuss non-GAAP financial measures as defined by SEC Regulation G. In addition, the Company has used non-GAAP financial measures in this press release. A supplemental schedule of non-GAAP financial measures and the comparable GAAP financial measure can be found on page 11 of this release.