Marc Fox
Analyst · JMP Securities. Please proceed with your question
Thank you, Brian. I will now review Ladder Capital’s financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Our first since electing to be taxed as a REIT effective January 1 of this year. For the first quarter of 2015, core earnings were $48 million versus $55.3 million in the same quarter a year ago. In the next few moments I will be making a couple of pre-tax versus after-tax statistical comparisons to help you quantify the favorable impact of the REIT election. As Brian noted core earnings is a pre-tax measure of earnings on the other hand core EPS is an after tax measure computed by applying the effective tax rate to core earnings and dividing by the average share count. In Q1 2015, core EPS was $0.48 a share compared to $0.36 a share in Q1 2014. This reflects the year-over-year decline in effective tax rate from 41.43% in the first quarter of 2014 to 1.43% in this quarter. Likewise the pre and after-tax return on average equity computation reflect a similar year-over-year comparison pattern. On a pre-tax basis quarterly ROAE was 12.8% in the first quarter of 2015, down from 16.9% in the first quarter of 2014. However, on an after-tax basis the 12.6% after-tax ROAE achieved in this past quarter represents a substantial improvement over the 9.9% after-tax return on average equity in the first quarter of 2014. GAAP net income was $18 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 this compares to $18.4 million for the comparable period in 2014. The largest GAAP to core earnings adjustments related to the timing of the recognition of hedge results that coincide with the realization of gains and losses on the disposition of hedged assets and real estate depreciation. Overall, these results reflect the impact of a substantial emphasis on the origination of balance sheet loans and the acquisition of income producing, net leased real estate, during a quarter that also saw compressed securitization profit margins. The large majority of the newly originated balance sheet loans and new acquired real estate is held by REIT subsidiaries providing Ladder with a stronger stream of income to support dividends to its shareholders. During the quarter Ladder originates $770 million of loans, which was 26% higher than the $611.1 million in the first quarter of 2014. This quarter’s originations included $392 million of commercial mortgage loans held for sale or conduit loans. In addition, Ladder originates $378 million of commercial mortgage loans held for investment in the quarter. The second highest quarterly amount of balance sheet loan originations in our firm’s history. Ladder’s portfolio loans held for investment stood at almost $1.8 billion at March 31, 2015, up 16.7% from the end of last and more than two half times the size it was one year prior. During the quarter Ladder acquired 18 net leased properties for a total purchase price of a $106.5 million, we also continued sales of condominium inventory at solid profit margins as Brian noted. Our total real estate portfolio as of March 31, 2015 experience a net increase of $82.4 million or 10.7% to $851.4 million. Our portfolio of CMBS and U.S. Agency Securities decreased by $191.7 million to $2.6 billion at quarter end as we reallocated capital from securities to loans and real estate. In a review of trends reflected in the first quarter income statement a number of items standout. Consistent with past quarters, Ladder maintained a steady stream of net interest income totaling $29.6 million in the first quarter, which is 34.5% higher than in the same quarter a year ago. Reflecting the impact of acquisitions over the preceding year, quarterly operating lease income rose to $19.1 million an increase of 44.9% compared to $13.2 million in the first quarter of 2014. Securitization activity in Q1 resulted in an income statement gains of $30 million from the sale of securitized loans net. After factoring in related hedging results the sale of servicing income and dealer expenses the net economic benefit was $19.6 million or 3.08% of the $634.1 million of loans contributed. Quarterly operating expenses totaled $43.4 million, $4.7 million less than in the fourth quarter reflecting a decrease in professional fees related to electing REIT status and lower compensation expense related to shortfalls and actual net revenues and investment production compared to budgeted amounts. In terms of key balance sheet metrics as of March 31, 2015 total assets were approximately $5.8 billion about even with the end of 2014. At the end of the period approximately 95% of our debt investment assets were senior secured including first mortgage loans and commercial mortgage-backed securities secured by first mortgage loans which is consistent with the senior secured focus of the company. Our senior secured assets plus cash comprised 77.6% of our total assets. Total unencumbered assets, including cash were $757.9 million at quarter end, reflecting a 1.2 to 1 ratio to unsecured debt outstanding. Turning to the right side of the balance sheet total equity capital was $1.5 billion at quarter end and the debt equity ratio remained unchanged from December 31, 2014 at 2.8 times. I will now move to a discussion of our investment activities during the first quarter. We previously referenced our loan production securitization right. In terms of asset yields the average coupon on loans held-for-sale that originated in the first quarter was approximately 4.1% versus 3.9% in the prior quarter. And as Brian noted the average coupon on the loans held for investment originating the quarter reflected a weighted average spread of 6.69% over one month LIBOR. That is in comparison to a 6.52% spread in the fourth quarter of last year. The weighted average loan-to-value ratio of the commercial real estate loans on our balance sheet was 65% up from 63% as of December 31, 2014. 79.9% of our security positions were rated AAA over back by agencies with the U.S. government, 98.2% were rated investment grade. The weighted average duration of [6.6] years as of March 31, slightly lower than the average duration of 4.1 years at the end of the prior quarter. With regard to financing, we have continued to enhance the maturity profile of our debt, while maintaining a diverse set of funding sources and access to a significant amount of additional financing availability. As of March 31, we had $4.2 billion of debt outstanding and committed financing available of over $1 billion for additional investments. In the first quarter of 2015, we maintained our FHLB borrowings at $1.6 billion consistent with the end of the prior quarter. As of March 31, 2015 $698 million of the funds borrowed from the Federal Home Loan Bank had remaining terms of over 1 year. Long-term non-recourse mortgage loan financing increased during the quarter from $447.4 million to $525 million. As a result to the securitization of inter company mortgage loans originated by Ladder during the quarter. During the quarter, we executed an extension and amendment of one of our loan repurchases facilities which limited the recourse exposure for the company and modify the pricing terms of that facility. Subsequent to quarter end we executed an extension of a securities repurchase facility as well as an amendment and an expansion of a loan repurchase facilities that increased the maximum funding capacity by $150 million. One final note to aid our investors and to further enhance the transparency of our financial reporting. We will be posting a statistical supplement to our website when we file our 10-Q which will happen in the next few days. In conclusion we are pleased to turn in a profitable quarter and which we exercise the firms operating flexibility to rotate between our complementary commercial real estate products to position Ladder for further success in future quarters. With that we will turn to Q&A.