Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results
Press Release
May 02, 2018

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (the “Company” or “ARI”) (NYSE:ARI) today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2018.

First Quarter 2018 Highlights

  • Reported net income available to common stockholders of $42.6 million, or $0.38 per diluted share of common stock, for the three months ended March 31, 2018, as compared to $37.8 million, or $0.41 per diluted share of common stock, for the three months ended March 31, 2017;
  • Reported Operating Earnings (a non-GAAP financial measure defined below) of $47.8 million, or $0.43 per diluted share of common stock, for the three months ended March 31, 2018, as compared to $38.6 million, or $0.41 per diluted share of common stock, for the three months ended March 31, 2017;
  • Generated $63.2 million of net interest income during the quarter from the Company’s $4.1 billion commercial real estate loan portfolio;
  • Committed $921.9 million to new commercial real estate loans ($488.7 million of which was funded at closing) and funded an additional $18.4 million for loans closed prior to the quarter;
  • Subsequent to quarter end, committed $238.8 million to new commercial real estate loans ($236.3 million of which was funded at closing), bringing year-to-date loan commitments to $1.2 billion;
  • Completed an underwritten public offering of 15.5 million shares of common stock, including the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, raising net proceeds of approximately $275.9 million; and
  • Declared a $0.46 dividend per share of common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2017.

“ARI’s solid performance during the first quarter of 2018 underscores the strength of the Company’s commercial real estate debt platform,” said Stuart Rothstein, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company. “ARI committed to $922 million of new loans during the quarter and we continue to build a healthy pipeline for the Company.”

First Quarter 2018 Investment Activity

New Investments – During the first quarter of 2018, ARI committed capital to the following commercial real estate debt investments:

  • $863.9 million of first mortgage loans ($477.0 million of which were funded during the quarter); and
  • $58.0 million of subordinate loans ($11.7 million of which were funded during the quarter).

Funding of Previously Closed Loans – During the first quarter of 2018, ARI funded $18.4 million for loans closed prior to the quarter.

Loan Repayments – During the first quarter of 2018, ARI received $137.9 million from loan repayments, including $120.4 million from first mortgage loans and $17.5 million from subordinate loans.

Quarter End Commercial Real Estate Loan Portfolio Summary

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the Company’s commercial real estate loan portfolio at March 31, 2018 ($ amounts in thousands):

           

 

Description

  Amortized Cost  

Weighted
Average
Coupon(1)

 

Weighted
Average
All-in
Yield(1)(2)

 

Secured Debt(3)

 

Cost of
Funds

 

Equity at
Cost(4)

Commercial mortgage loans, net $ 3,029,240 7.2 % 7.7 % $ 1,212,749 4.1 % $ 1,846,772
Subordinate loans, net   1,038,254   12.6 %   13.7 %     -   -       1,038,254
Total/Weighted Average $ 4,067,494   8.6 %   9.2 %   $ 1,209,686   4.1 %   $ 2,885,026
 
(1)   Weighted-Average Coupon and Weighted Average All-in-Yield are based upon the applicable benchmark rates as of March 31, 2018 on the floating rate loans.
(2) Weighted-Average All-in-Yield includes the amortization of deferred origination fees, loan origination costs and accrual of both extension and exit fees.
(3) Net of deferred financing of $14,037.
(4) Represents loan portfolio at amortized cost plus loan proceeds held by servicer less secured debt outstanding.
 

Book Value

The Company’s book value per share of common stock was $16.31 at March 31, 2018, as compared to book value per share of common stock of $16.30 at December 31, 2017.

Subsequent Events

The following events occurred subsequent to quarter end:

New Investments – Subsequent to quarter end, ARI committed capital to the following commercial real estate loans:

  • $238.8 million of first mortgage loans ($236.3 million of which were funded during the quarter); and

Funding of Previously Closed Loans – Subsequent to quarter end, ARI funded $20.4 million for previously closed loans.

Loan Repayments – Subsequent to quarter end, ARI received $71.9 million from loan repayments, including $1.0 million from first mortgage loans and $70.1 million from subordinate loans.

DB Repurchase Facility – Subsequent to quarter end, ARI amended and restated the Company’s master repurchase agreement with Deutsche Bank AG, which ARI uses to finance first mortgage loans. The amendment increased the borrowing capacity from $450.0 million to $800.0 million and enables ARI to elect to receive advances in either U.S. dollars, British pounds or Euros.

Operating Earnings

Operating Earnings is a non-GAAP financial measure that is defined by the Company as net income available to common stockholders, computed in accordance with GAAP, adjusted for (i) equity-based compensation expense (a portion of which may become cash-based upon final vesting and settlement of awards should the holder elect net share settlement to satisfy income tax withholding), (ii) any unrealized gains or losses or other non-cash items included in net income available to common stockholders, (iii) unrealized income from unconsolidated joint ventures, (iv) foreign currency gains (losses) other than realized gains/(losses) related to interest income, (v) the non-cash amortization expense related to the reclassification of a portion of the convertible senior notes to stockholders’ equity in accordance with GAAP, and (vi) provision for loan losses and impairments. Beginning with the quarter ended September 30, 2016, the Company slightly modified its definition of Operating Earnings to include realized gains (losses) on currency swaps related to interest income on investments denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars. Operating Earnings may also be adjusted to exclude certain other non-cash items, as determined by ACREFI Management, LLC, the Company’s external manager (the “Manager”) and approved by a majority of the Company's independent directors.

In order to evaluate the effective yield of the portfolio, the Company uses Operating Earnings to reflect the net investment income of the Company’s portfolio as adjusted to include the net interest expense related to the Company’s derivative instruments. Operating Earnings allows the Company to isolate the net interest expense associated with the Company’s swaps in order to monitor and project the Company’s full cost of borrowings. The Company also believes that its investors use Operating Earnings, or a comparable supplemental performance measure, to evaluate and compare the performance of the Company and its peers and, as such, the Company believes that the disclosure of Operating Earnings is useful to its investors. In addition, the Company has previously disclosed that it has disposed of all of its CMBS as of December 31, 2017. Accordingly, the Company has disclosed Operating Earnings excluding realized loss and costs from sale of CMBS because the Company believes it is useful to investors to present the results of the Company's ongoing operations while excluding the effects associated with the disposal of its CMBS.

A significant limitation associated with Operating Earnings as a measure of the Company's financial performance over any period is that it excludes unrealized gains (losses) from investments. In addition, the Company’s presentation of Operating Earnings may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures of other companies, who may use different calculations. As a result, Operating Earnings should not be considered as a substitute for the Company’s GAAP net income as a measure of its financial performance or any measure of its liquidity under GAAP.

Reconciliation of Operating Earnings to Net Income Available to Common Stockholders

The table below reconciles Operating Earnings and Operating Earnings per share of common stock with net income available to common stockholders and net income available to common stockholders per share of common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and March 31, 2017($ amounts in thousands, except per share data):

       

 

Three Months
Ended
March 31, 2018

 

Earnings
Per Share
(Diluted)

 

Three Months
Ended
March 31, 2017

 

Earnings
Per Share
(Diluted)

 
Operating Earnings:
Net income available to common stockholders $ 42,598 $ 0.38 $ 37,815 $ 0.41
Adjustments:
Equity-based compensation expense 3,342 0.03 3,791 0.04
Unrealized gain on securities - - (2,852 ) (0.03 )
Unrealized loss on derivative instruments 11,032 0.10 3,045 0.03
Foreign currency gain, net (10,362 ) (0.09 ) (3,326 ) (0.04 )
Amortization of the convertible senior notes related to equity reclassification 1,140 0.01 608 0.01
Income from unconsolidated joint venture   -       -       (458 )     (0.01 )  
Total adjustments:   5,152       0.05       808       -    
Operating Earnings $ 47,750     $ 0.43     $ 38,623     $ 0.41    
Realized loss and costs on sale of CMBS   -       -       1,042       0.01    
Operating Earnings excluding realized loss and costs from sale of CMBS $ 47,750     $ 0.43     $ 39,665     $ 0.42    
 

Basic weighted average shares of common stock outstanding:

110,211,853

91,612,447

Diluted weighted average shares of common stock outstanding:

111,871,429

92,998,250
 

Teleconference Details:

The Company will host a conference call to discuss its financial results on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Members of the public who are interested in participating in the Company’s first quarter 2018 earnings teleconference call should dial from the U.S., (877) 331-6553, or from outside the U.S., (760) 666-3769, shortly before 9:00 a.m. and reference the Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Teleconference Call (number 7476087). Please note the teleconference call will be available for replay beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 3, 2018 and ending at midnight on Thursday, May 10, 2018. To access the replay, callers from the U.S. should dial (855) 859-2056 and callers from outside the U.S. should dial (404) 537-3406, and enter conference identification number 7476087.

Webcast:

The conference call will also be available on the Company's website at www.apolloreit.com.