Arbor Realty Trust Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results and Declares Dividend of $0.43 per Share

Company Highlights:

• Diversified, annuity-based operating platform with a multifamily focus that has continued to generate strong distributable earnings and dividends
  • GAAP net income of $0.41 per diluted common share
  • Distributable earnings¹ of $0.55 per diluted common share, well in excess of our current dividend, representing a 78% payout ratio
  • Declares cash dividend on common stock of $0.43 per share representing an annualized dividend of $1.72 per share
  • Strong liquidity position with ~$1 billion in cash and liquidity and ~$500 million of restricted cash in replenishable CLO vehicles with a weighted average cost of 1.70% over benchmark rates²
  • Agency loan originations of $1.15 billion and a servicing portfolio of ~$29.94 billion, up 2%
  • Structured loan originations of $240.2 million and a portfolio of ~$13.12 billion

UNIONDALE, N.Y., Oct. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR), today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023. Arbor reported net income for the quarter of $77.9 million, or $0.41 per diluted common share, compared to net income of $62.7 million, or $0.36 per diluted common share for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Distributable earnings for the quarter was $112.2 million, or $0.55 per diluted common share, compared to $105.1 million, or $0.56 per diluted common share for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.

Agency Business

Loan Origination Platform

For the quarter ended September 30, 2023, the Agency Business generated revenues of $80.8 million, compared to $76.7 million for the second quarter of 2023. Gain on sales, including fee-based services, net on the GSE/Agency business (excluding private label and SFR) was $17.7 million for the quarter, reflecting a margin of 1.48%, compared to $22.2 million and 1.67% for the second quarter of 2023. Income from mortgage servicing rights was $14.1 million for the quarter, reflecting a rate of 1.16% as a percentage of loan commitments, compared to $16.2 million and 1.43% for the second quarter of 2023.

At September 30, 2023, loans held-for-sale was $364.3 million, with financing associated with these loans totaling $354.6 million.

Fee-Based Servicing Portfolio

The Company’s fee-based servicing portfolio totaled $29.94 billion at September 30, 2023. Servicing revenue, net was $35.5 million for the quarter and consisted of servicing revenue of $51.4 million, net of amortization of mortgage servicing rights totaling $15.9 million.

Loans sold under the Fannie Mae program contain an obligation to partially guarantee the performance of the loan (“loss-sharing obligations”) and includes $34.6 million for the fair value of the guarantee obligation undertaken at September 30, 2023. The Company recorded a $1.6 million net provision for loss sharing associated with CECL for the third quarter of 2023. At September 30, 2023, the Company’s total CECL allowance for loss-sharing obligations was $34.7 million, representing 0.17% of the Fannie Mae servicing portfolio.

Structured Business

Portfolio and Investment Activity

At September 30, 2023, the loan and investment portfolio’s unpaid principal balance, excluding loan loss reserves, was $13.12 billion, with a weighted average current interest pay rate of 8.80%, compared to $13.49 billion and 8.76% at June 30, 2023. Including certain fees earned and costs associated with the loan and investment portfolio, the weighted average current interest pay rate was 9.12% at September 30, 2023, compared to 9.07% at June 30, 2023.

The average balance of the Company’s loan and investment portfolio during the third quarter of 2023, excluding loan loss reserves, was $13.40 billion with a weighted average yield of 9.25%, compared to $13.66 billion and 9.19% for the second quarter of 2023.

During the third quarter of 2023, the Company recorded a $15.0 million provision for loan losses associated with CECL. At September 30, 2023, the Company’s total allowance for loan losses was $184.1 million. The Company had twelve non-performing loans with a carrying value of $137.9 million, before related loan loss reserves of $12.6 million, compared to seven loans with a carrying value of $122.4 million, before loan loss reserves of $10.1 million at June 30, 2023.

Financing Activity

The balance of debt that finances the Company’s loan and investment portfolio at September 30, 2023 was $11.86 billion with a weighted average interest rate including fees of 7.41% as compared to $12.11 billion and a rate of 7.25% at June 30, 2023.

The average balance of debt that finances the Company’s loan and investment portfolio for the third quarter of 2023 was $12.00 billion, as compared to $12.46 billion for the second quarter of 2023. The average cost of borrowings for the third quarter of 2023 was 7.37%, compared to 7.11% for the second quarter of 2023. The increase in average cost was primarily due to increases in the benchmark index rates in the third quarter of 2023.

Dividend

The Company announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.43 per share of common stock for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The dividend is payable on November 30, 2023 to common stockholders of record on November 17, 2023. The ex-dividend date is November 16, 2023.

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 www.arbor.com in the investor relations section of the Company’s website, or you can access the call telephonically at least ten minutes prior to the conference call. The dial-in numbers are (800) 225-9448 for domestic callers and (203) 518-9708 for international callers. Please use participant passcode ABRQ323 when prompted by the operator.

A telephonic replay of the call will be available until November 3, 2023. The replay dial-in numbers are (800) 839-2485 for domestic callers and (402) 220-7222 for international callers.

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, single-family rental (SFR) portfolios, 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 leading Fannie Mae DUS® lender and Freddie Mac Optigo® Seller/Servicer, and an approved FHA Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) lender. Arbor’s product platform also includes bridge, CMBS, mezzanine and preferred equity loans. 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 severity and duration of 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, 2022 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.

Notes

1. 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 the last page of this release.
2. Amounts reflect approximate balances as of October 25, 2023.

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ARBOR REALTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Reconciliation of Distributable Earnings to GAAP Net Income - (Unaudited)
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The Company is presenting distributable earnings because management believes it is an important supplemental measure of the Company's operating performance and is useful to investors, analysts and other parties in the evaluation of REITs and their ability to provide dividends to stockholders. Dividends are one of the principal reasons investors invest in REITs. To maintain REIT status, REITs are required to distribute at least 90% of their REIT-taxable income. The Company considers distributable earnings in determining its quarterly dividend and believes that, over time, distributable earnings is a useful indicator of the Company's dividends per share.

The Company defines distributable earnings as net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders computed in accordance with GAAP, adjusted for accounting items such as depreciation and amortization (adjusted for unconsolidated joint ventures), non-cash stock-based compensation expense, income from MSRs, amortization and write-offs of MSRs, gains/losses on derivative instruments primarily associated with Private Label loans not yet sold and securitized, changes in fair value of GSE-related derivatives that temporarily flow through earnings (net of any tax impact), deferred tax provision (benefit), CECL provisions for credit losses (adjusted for realized losses as described below) and gains/losses on the receipt of real estate from the settlement of loans (prior to the sale of the real estate). The Company also adds back one-time charges such as acquisition costs and one-time gains/losses on the early extinguishment of debt and redemption of preferred stock.

The Company reduces distributable earnings for realized losses in the period management determines that a loan is deemed nonrecoverable in whole or in part. Loans are deemed nonrecoverable upon the earlier of: (1) when the loan receivable is settled (i.e., when the loan is repaid, or in the case of foreclosure, when the underlying asset is sold); or (2) when management determines that it is nearly certain that all amounts due will not be collected. The realized loss amount is equal to the difference between the cash received, or expected to be received, and the book value of the asset.

Distributable earnings is not intended to be an indication of the Company's cash flows from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) or a measure of its liquidity, nor is it entirely indicative of funding the Company's cash needs, including its ability to make cash distributions. The Company's calculation of distributable earnings may be different from the calculations used by other companies and, therefore, comparability may be limited.

Source: Arbor Realty Trust