Annaly Capital Management, Inc. Reports 1st Quarter 2018 Results

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE:NLY) (the “Company” or “Annaly”) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2018.

Quarterly Financial Highlights

• GAAP net income of $1.3 billion, $1.12 per average common share
• Core earnings (excluding PAA) were $385.3 million, $0.30 per average common share
• GAAP return on average equity was 36.86% and core return on average equity (excluding PAA) was 10.70%
• Book value per common share of $10.53
• Economic leverage of 6.5x as compared to 6.6x at December 31, 2017
• Net interest margin (excluding PAA) of 1.52%, up from 1.51% in the prior quarter
• Increased hedge ratio to 94%, up from 70% as of December 31, 2017

Business Highlights

• Continued expansion of credit businesses, representing 26% of dedicated capital at March 31, 2018, up from 24% as of December 31, 2017
• Raised $425.0 million of preferred equity with the lowest coupon in history for a non-rated offering; proceeds used, in part, to redeem over $400 million of preferred stock, reducing the cost of preferred capital by 27 bps
• Further diversified efficient funding sources for residential mortgage loans beyond FHLB with debut securitization of $327.5 million of UPB
• Continued governance improvements by adopting enhanced Board evaluation process, including individual director assessments by an external facilitator
• Authored industry leading white paper, in conjunction with an economist from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, that evaluates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s Credit Risk Transfer (“CRT”) initiative
• Declared 18^th consecutive quarterly dividend of $0.30 per common share

“After years of global accommodative policy, the first quarter demonstrated an inflection point - as we've discussed as inevitable - beyond which investors would no longer accept risk without differentiation of valuation,” commented Kevin Keyes, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. “Increased volatility and rising interest rates created a more challenging investment environment in the first quarter. Though we were not immune from the market backdrop, Annaly proactively managed our businesses to not only withstand short-term market shocks, but, as importantly, to position our portfolio for the long term. We significantly increased our hedge ratio and continued to selectively diversify into lower-levered floating rate credit assets, increasing our allocation to credit to 26%. With 36 complementary investment options across our four businesses, our diversified model, size, liquidity and conservative leverage profile uniquely position us to capitalize on opportunities resulting from increased volatility which will likely persist in the quarters ahead.”

Financial Performance

The following table summarizes certain key performance indicators as of and for the quarters ended March 31, 2018, December 31, 2017 and March 31, 2017:

Other Information

This news release and our public documents to which we refer contain or incorporate by reference certain forward-looking statements which are based on various assumptions (some of which are beyond our control) and may be identified by reference to a future period or periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “continue,” or similar terms or variations on those terms or the negative of those terms. Actual results could differ materially from those set forth in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, changes in interest rates; changes in the yield curve; changes in prepayment rates; the availability of mortgage-backed securities and other securities for purchase; the availability of financing and, if available, the terms of any financing; changes in the market value of our assets; changes in business conditions and the general economy; our ability to grow our commercial real estate business; our ability to grow our residential mortgage credit business; our ability to grow our middle market lending business; credit risks related to our investments in credit risk transfer securities, residential mortgage-backed securities and related residential mortgage credit assets, commercial real estate assets and corporate debt; risks related to investments in mortgage servicing rights; our ability to consummate any contemplated investment opportunities; changes in government regulations and policy affecting our business; our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes; and our ability to maintain our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. For a discussion of the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We do not undertake, and specifically disclaim any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements, except as required by law.

Annaly is a leading diversified capital manager that invests in and finances residential and commercial assets. Annaly’s principal business objective is to generate net income for distribution to its stockholders and to preserve capital through prudent selection of investments and continuous management of its portfolio. Annaly has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, for federal income tax purposes. Annaly is externally managed by Annaly Management Company LLC. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.annaly.com.

The Company prepares a supplemental investor presentation and a financial summary for the benefit of its shareholders. Both the First Quarter 2018 Investor Presentation and the First Quarter 2018 Financial Summary can be found at the Company’s website (www.annaly.com) in the Investors section under Investor Presentations.

Conference Call

The Company will hold the first quarter 2018 earnings conference call on May 3, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The number to call is 888-317-6003 for domestic calls and 412-317-6061 for international calls. The conference passcode is 5191574. There will also be an audio webcast of the call on www.annaly.com. The replay of the call will be available for one week following the conference call. The replay number is 877-344-7529 for domestic calls and 412-317-0088 for international calls and the conference passcode is 10119215. If you would like to be added to the e-mail distribution list, please visit www.annaly.com, click on Investors, then select Email Alerts and complete the email notification form.

Financial Statements

Key Metrics

The following table presents key metrics of the Company’s portfolio, liabilities and hedging positions, and performance as of and for the quarters ended March 31, 2018, December 31, 2017, and March 31, 2017:

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement its consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Company provides the following non-GAAP measures:

• core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA);
• core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA) per average common share;
• annualized core return on average equity (excluding PAA);
• interest income (excluding PAA);
• economic interest expense;
• economic net interest income (excluding PAA);
• average yield on interest earning assets (excluding PAA);
• net interest margin (excluding PAA); and
• net interest spread (excluding PAA).

These measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures computed in accordance with GAAP. While intended to offer a fuller understanding of the Company’s results and operations, non-GAAP financial measures also have limitations. For example, the Company may calculate its non-GAAP metrics, such as core earnings, or the PAA, differently than its peers making comparative analysis difficult. Additionally, in the case of non-GAAP measures that exclude the PAA, the amount of amortization expense excluding the PAA is not necessarily representative of the amount of future periodic amortization nor is it indicative of the term over which the Company will amortize the remaining unamortized premium. Changes to actual and estimated prepayments will impact the timing and amount of premium amortization and, as such, both GAAP and non-GAAP results.

These non-GAAP measures provide additional detail to enhance investor understanding of the Company’s period-over-period operating performance and business trends, as well as for assessing the Company’s performance versus that of industry peers. Additional information pertaining to the Company’s use of these non-GAAP financial measures, including discussion of how each such measure is useful to investors, and reconciliations to their most directly comparable GAAP results are provided below.

Amortization

In accordance with GAAP, the Company amortizes or accretes premiums or discounts into interest income for its Agency mortgage-backed securities, excluding interest-only securities, taking into account estimates of future principal prepayments in the calculation of the effective yield. The Company recalculates the effective yield as differences between anticipated and actual prepayments occur. Using third-party model and market information to project future cash flows and expected remaining lives of securities, the effective interest rate determined for each security is applied as if it had been in place from the date of the security’s acquisition. The amortized cost of the security is then adjusted to the amount that would have existed had the new effective yield been applied since the acquisition date. The adjustment to amortized cost is offset with a charge or credit to interest income. Changes in interest rates and other market factors will impact prepayment speed projections and the amount of premium amortization recognized in any given period.

The Company’s GAAP metrics include the unadjusted impact of amortization and accretion associated with this method. Certain of the Company’s non-GAAP metrics exclude the effect of the PAA, which quantifies the component of premium amortization representing the cumulative impact on prior periods, but not the current period, of quarter-over-quarter changes in estimated long-term CPR.

The following table illustrates the impact of the PAA on premium amortization expense for the Company’s Residential Investment Securities portfolio for the quarters ended March 31, 2018, December 31, 2017, and March 31, 2017:

Core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA), core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA) per average common share and annualized core return on average equity (excluding PAA)

The Company generates net income by earning a net interest spread on its investment portfolio, which is a function of the Company’s interest income from its investment portfolio less financing, hedging and operating costs. Core earnings, which is comprised of interest income plus TBA dollar roll incomeⁱ, less financing and hedging costsⁱⁱ and general and administrative expenses, and core earnings (excluding PAA), are used by management and, we believe, used by our analysts and investors, to measure progress in achieving the Company's business objectives.

The Company defines “core earnings”, a non-GAAP measure, as net income (loss) excluding gains or losses on disposals of investments and termination or maturity of interest rate swaps, unrealized gains or losses on interest rate swaps and investments measured at fair value through earnings, net gains and losses on trading assets, impairment losses, net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest, transaction expenses and certain other non-recurring gains or losses, and inclusive of TBA dollar roll income (a component of Net gains (losses) on trading assets) and realized amortization of MSRs (a component of net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings). Core earnings (excluding PAA) excludes the premium amortization adjustment representing the cumulative impact on prior periods, but not the current period, of quarter-over-quarter changes in estimated long-term prepayment speeds related to the Company’s Agency mortgage-backed securities.

The Company believes these non-GAAP measures provide management and investors with additional details regarding the Company’s underlying operating results and investment portfolio trends by (i) making adjustments to account for the disparate reporting of changes in fair value where certain instruments are reflected in GAAP net income (loss) while others are reflected in other comprehensive income (loss), and (ii) by excluding certain unrealized, non-cash or episodic components of GAAP net income (loss) in order to provide additional transparency into the operating performance of the Company’s portfolio. Annualized core return on average equity (excluding PAA), which is calculated by dividing core earnings (excluding PAA) over average stockholders’ equity, provides investors with additional detail on the core earnings generated by the Company’s invested equity capital.

The following table presents a reconciliation of GAAP financial results to non-GAAP core earnings for the periods presented:

From time to time, the Company enters into TBA forward contracts as an alternate means of investing in and financing Agency mortgage-backed securities. A TBA contract is an agreement to purchase or sell, for future delivery, an Agency mortgage-backed security with a specified issuer, term and coupon. A TBA dollar roll represents a transaction where TBA contracts with the same terms but different settlement dates are simultaneously bought and sold. The TBA contract settling in the later month typically prices at a discount to the earlier month contract with the difference in price commonly referred to as the “drop”. The drop is a reflection of the expected net interest income from an investment in similar Agency mortgage-backed securities, net of an implied financing cost, that would be foregone as a result of settling the contract in the later month rather than in the earlier month. The drop between the current settlement month price and the forward settlement month price occurs because in the TBA dollar roll market, the party providing the financing is the party that would retain all principal and interest payments accrued during the financing period. Accordingly, TBA dollar roll income generally represents the economic equivalent of the net interest income earned on the underlying Agency mortgage-backed security less an implied financing cost.

TBA dollar roll transactions are accounted for under GAAP as a series of derivatives transactions. The fair value of TBA derivatives is based on methods similar to those used to value Agency mortgage-backed securities. The Company records TBA derivatives at fair value on its Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and recognizes periodic changes in fair value as Net gains (losses) on trading assets in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), which includes both unrealized and realized gains and losses on derivatives (excluding interest rate swaps).

TBA dollar roll income is calculated as the difference in price between two TBA contracts with the same terms but different settlement dates multiplied by the notional amount of the TBA contract. Although accounted for as derivatives, TBA dollar rolls capture the economic equivalent of net interest income, or carry, on the underlying Agency mortgage-backed security (interest income less an implied cost of financing). TBA dollar roll income is reported as a component of Net gains (losses) on trading assets in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Interest income (excluding PAA), economic interest expense and economic net interest income (excluding PAA)

Interest income (excluding PAA) represents interest income excluding the effect of the PAA, and serves as the basis for deriving average yield on interest earning assets (excluding PAA), net interest spread (excluding PAA) and net interest margin (excluding PAA), which are discussed below. The Company believes this measure provides management and investors with additional detail to enhance their understanding of the Company’s operating results and trends by excluding the component of premium amortization expense representing the cumulative impact on prior periods, but not the current period, of quarter-over-quarter changes in estimated long-term prepayment speeds related to the Company’s Agency mortgage-backed securities (other than interest-only securities), which can obscure underlying trends in the performance of the portfolio.

Economic interest expense includes GAAP interest expense and interest expense on interest rate swaps. Prior to the quarter ended March 31, 2018, economic interest expense included interest expense on interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the quarter ended March 31, 2018, as a result of changes to the Company’s hedging portfolio, this metric reflects all interest expense on interest rate swaps, which is reported as Realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss). The Company uses interest rate swaps to manage its exposure to changing interest rates on its repurchase agreements by economically hedging cash flows associated with these borrowings. Accordingly, adding the contractual interest payments on interest rate swaps to interest expense, as computed in accordance with GAAP, reflects the total contractual interest expense and thus, provides investors with additional information about the cost of the Company's financing strategy.

Similarly, economic net interest income (excluding PAA), as computed below, provides investors with additional information to enhance their understanding of the net economics of our primary business operations.

Average yield on interest earning assets (excluding PAA), net interest spread (excluding PAA) and net interest margin (excluding PAA)

Net interest spread (excluding PAA), which is the difference between the average yield on interest earning assets (excluding PAA) and the average cost of interest bearing liabilities, and net interest margin (excluding PAA), which is calculated as the sum of interest income (excluding PAA) plus TBA dollar roll income less interest expense and realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps divided by the sum of average Interest Earning Assets plus average TBA contract balances, provide management with additional measures of the Company’s profitability that management relies upon in monitoring the performance of the business.

Disclosure of these measures, which are presented below, provides investors with additional detail regarding how management evaluates the Company’s performance.

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Annaly Capital Management, Inc.
Investor Relations
1-888-8Annaly
www.annaly.com