Patrick Mattson
Analyst · Raymond James. Please go ahead
Thank you, Matt. Good morning, everyone. I'll focus today on our efforts on the capital and liquidity front and provide an update around our CECL reserve and watch lists loans. In 2022, with the continued help of our partners in KKR Capital Markets, we added $2.5 billion in non mark-to-market financing. In the public capital markets, we closed $1 billion managed multifamily CLO earlier in the year, providing KREF with $848 million of non mark-to-market and non-recourse financing the two-year reinvestment period. In the private markets, we closed on a term lending agreement totaling $350 million with an option to increase the facility to $500 million and entered into three new asset specific financing facilities, totaling nearly $500 million. We also increase the borrowing capacity of an existing $500 million term lending agreement to $1 billion. Finally, we increased our corporate revolver by $275 million to $610 million, and extended the maturity date through March 2027. Of the $2.5 billion in total capacity added this year, two-thirds is truly bespoke liabilities. The resiliency of our financing structure, coupled with our independence from the public capital markets, is a true differentiator. In buffers KREF on the liability side, during times of capital markets volatility. KREF is well capitalized today, and continuing to preserve flexibility in today's market environment. Our debt to equity ratio was two times, and our total leverage ratio was 3.8 times as of quarter end. Our approach to managing the balance sheet allows us to start 2023 with a record level of liquidity in excess of $950 million, including our $610 million undrawn corporate revolver, and $240 million of cash. Additionally, at quarter end, KREF had $180 million in unencumbered senior loans on the balance sheet. We're maintaining our defensive posture with a focus on managing liquidity. This quarter, we recorded a $4 million net decrease in our CECL reserve of $115 million to $111 million or 147 basis points based on the funded loan portfolio. Similar to our commentary in Q3, nearly half of our total CECL reserve remains held within our five rated loans. Additionally, as we noted last quarter, the CECL reserve is unrealized in non-cash. We would recognize a loss through our cash metric of distributable earnings, if such amounts are deemed non-recoverable, as we did this quarter. Turning to the watch list, in December, we finalize the plan to modify a $161 million senior office loan, previously risk-rated 4 located in Philadelphia. As part of the modification, KREF agreed to subordinate 25 million of our senior loan in the form of a junior mezzanine loan, in return for a $25 million principal repayment from the sponsor. The principal repayment is structured as a new senior mezzanine loan and reduces KREF's mortgage exposure to $111 million. At year end, the loan was risk-rated 5 However, following the execution of the modification in January, the new senior loan was upgraded to a risk rating of three. In addition to the $25 million pay down, the sponsor committed to fund an additional $16.5 million for future capital expenditures and leasing cost, which will bring the total senior mezzanine loan balance to $41.5 million fully funded. The subordinated hope [ph] note is structured as a junior mezzanine loan and does have priority of cash flow once a senior mortgage and senior mezzanine loans are fully repaid with interest. KREF wrote off $25 million of the loan balance in Q4. Regarding our other two risk-rated 5 loans, there are sponsored lead sale processes in progress, and we are maintaining an active dialogue with these sponsors. With Minneapolis loan, we executed a short-term extension to facilitate the sale process. And for the other Philadelphia loan, we have an initial maturity date in May of this year. With regard to the broader portfolio, 88% of our loan portfolio remains risk-rated 3, and we collect it 100% of scheduled interest payments across the portfolio in Q4 and through the first payment date in 2023. A few final comments. KREF finish 2022 strong with a $7.9 billion total funded portfolio representing a 17% year-over-year increase. We originated three senior loans in Q4 for a total of $370 million in sourcing closed $125 million asset specific financing. Finally, we repurchased approximately 500,000 shares of common stock in Q4 as a weighted average price per share of $16.41 or a total of over $7.4 million. Over the last three quarters, we've been opportunistic in utilizing our share repurchase program, with 2.1 million shares repurchased in 2022 for a total of $36 million. Additionally, this month, the board reauthorized $100 million buyback program. Thank you for joining us today. And now we're happy to take your questions.