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Great Ajax Corp. Announces Results for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2021

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Great Ajax Corp. (AJX) reported a net income of $7.4 million for Q4 2021, down from $9.3 million in Q3 2021. Basic EPS stood at $0.32, with a book value of $15.92 per share. Interest income reached $23.2 million, while net interest income was $14.2 million. The firm acquired $148.8 million in re-performing mortgage loans and ended Q4 with $1.1 billion in net mortgage loans. Cash collections totaled $86.6 million, and the company declared a special cash dividend of $0.10 per share, paid on January 25, 2022.

Positive
  • Interest income increased to $23.2 million.
  • Acquired $148.8 million in re-performing mortgage loans.
  • Held $84.4 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021.
  • Declared a special cash dividend of $0.10 per share.
Negative
  • Net income decreased to $7.4 million from $9.3 million in Q3 2021.
  • Book value per share declined from $16.00 to $15.92.
  • Operating expenses increased due to loan servicing expenses and tax consulting fees.

Fourth Quarter Highlights

  • Interest income of $23.2 million; net interest income of $14.2 million
  • Net income attributable to common stockholders of $7.4 million
  • Basic earnings per common share (“EPS”) of $0.32
  • Book value per common share of $15.92 at December 31, 2021
  • Taxable income of $0.40 per common share
  • Formed one joint venture that acquired $329.8 million in unpaid principal balance ("UPB") of mortgage loans with collateral values of $716.7 million and retained $55.3 million of varying classes of related securities issued by the joint venture to end the quarter with $494.8 million of investments in debt securities and beneficial interests
  • Purchased $148.8 million of re-performing mortgage loans ("RPLs"), with UPB of $149.5 million at 54.1% of property value, $3.5 million of non-performing loans ("NPLs"), with UPB of $3.3 million at 56.5% of property value, and $5.4 million of small balance commercial loans ("SBC loans"), with UPB of $5.3 million at 43.7% of property value to end the quarter with $1.1 billion in net mortgage loans
  • Collected total cash of $86.6 million from loan payments, sales of real estate owned properties ("REO") and collections from investments in debt securities and beneficial interests
  • Held $84.4 million of cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2021; average daily cash balance for the quarter was $79.3 million
  • As of December 31, 2021, approximately 72.3% of portfolio based on UPB made at least 12 out of the last 12 payments

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Great Ajax Corp. (NYSE: AJX), a Maryland corporation that is a real estate investment trust, today announces its results of operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2021. We focus primarily on acquiring, investing in and managing a portfolio of RPLs secured by single-family residences and commercial properties and, to a lesser extent, NPLs. In addition to our continued focus on residential RPLs, we also originate and acquire SBC loans secured by multi-family retail/residential and mixed use properties.

Selected Financial Results (Unaudited)

($ in thousands except per share amounts)

 

 

For the three months ended

 

 

December 31,
2021

 

September 30,
2021

 

June 30,
2021

 

March 31,
2021

 

December 31,
2020

Loan interest income(1,2)

 

$

16,718

 

 

$

15,772

 

 

$

15,788

 

 

$

18,181

 

 

$

18,108

 

Earnings from debt securities and beneficial interests(2,4)

 

$

6,447

 

 

$

7,126

 

 

$

6,994

 

 

$

5,937

 

 

$

6,243

 

Other interest income/(loss)

 

$

81

 

 

$

156

 

 

$

266

 

 

$

(83

)

 

$

407

 

Interest expense

 

$

(8,999

)

 

$

(8,609

)

 

$

(8,830

)

 

$

(10,304

)

 

$

(10,837

)

Net interest income(2,3)

 

$

14,247

 

 

$

14,445

 

 

$

14,218

 

 

$

13,731

 

 

$

13,921

 

Net decrease in the net present value of expected credit losses(2,3)

 

$

4,296

 

 

$

3,678

 

 

$

4,733

 

 

$

5,516

 

 

$

7,966

 

Other income and income from equity method investments

 

$

854

 

 

$

868

 

 

$

843

 

 

$

519

 

 

$

618

 

Total revenue, net(1,5)

 

$

19,397

 

 

$

18,991

 

 

$

19,794

 

 

$

19,766

 

 

$

22,505

 

Consolidated net income(1)

 

$

9,279

 

 

$

10,684

 

 

$

11,170

 

 

$

10,642

 

 

$

14,402

 

Net income per basic share

 

$

0.32

 

 

$

0.40

 

 

$

0.45

 

 

$

0.30

 

 

$

0.47

 

Average equity(1,6)

 

$

500,760

 

 

$

493,687

 

 

$

498,990

 

 

$

508,319

 

 

$

509,628

 

Average total assets(1)

 

$

1,696,144

 

 

$

1,669,965

 

 

$

1,600,337

 

 

$

1,674,301

 

 

$

1,654,579

 

Average daily cash balance(7,8)

 

$

79,294

 

 

$

89,240

 

 

$

113,008

 

 

$

115,220

 

 

$

128,687

 

Average carrying value of RPLs(1)

 

$

924,171

 

 

$

860,155

 

 

$

897,847

 

 

$

1,025,204

 

 

$

1,044,997

 

Average carrying value of NPLs(1)

 

$

116,272

 

 

$

88,205

 

 

$

46,139

 

 

$

46,437

 

 

$

39,958

 

Average carrying value of SBC loans

 

$

25,989

 

 

$

28,469

 

 

$

23,685

 

 

$

31,539

 

 

$

8,751

 

Average carrying value of debt securities and beneficial interests

 

$

487,110

 

 

$

520,814

 

 

$

405,612

 

 

$

361,852

 

 

$

367,389

 

Average asset backed debt balance(1)

 

$

1,089,104

 

 

$

1,044,125

 

 

$

992,122

 

 

$

1,088,936

 

 

$

1,025,717

 

____________________________________________________________

(1)

At the beginning of the first quarter of 2021, we acquired all of our joint venture partner's interest in Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2018-C ("2018-C"). Results for the quarters ended June 30, 2021 and March 31, 2021 reflect our 100% ownership of 2018-C. In all prior quarters, 2018-C was 37%, owned by third party institutional investors, and was consolidated by us under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP"). Our remaining ownership interest in Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2017-D ("2017-D"), which we consolidate, remains at 50% and is consistent with prior quarters.

(2)

All quarters have been updated to reflect the reclassification of loan and beneficial interest credit loss expense from Net increase in the net present value of cash flows to loan interest income and earnings from debt securities and beneficial interest lines, respectively.

(3)

Net decrease in the net present value of expected credit losses represents the net decrease to the allowance resulting from changes in actual and expected cash flows during the quarter. It represents the net increase of the present value of the expected cash flows in excess of contractual cash flows offset by any incremental provision expense on the Mortgage loan pools and Beneficial interests. The decrease is calculated at the pool level for Mortgage loans and at the security level for Beneficial interests. To the extent a pool or Beneficial interest has an associated allowance, the decrease in expected credit losses is recorded in the period in which the change occurs, otherwise it is recognized prospectively as an increase in yield.

(4)

Interest income on investment in debt securities and beneficial interests issued by our joint ventures is net of servicing fees.

(5)

Total revenue includes net interest income, income from equity method investments, gain or loss on sale of mortgage loans and other income.

(6)

Average equity includes the effect of an aggregate of $115.1 million of preferred stock.

(7)

Average daily cash balance includes cash and cash equivalents, and excludes cash held in trust.

(8)

For the three months ended September 30, 2021, the average daily cash balance excludes $9.4 million of funds on deposit in a non-interest bearing account which closed on August 20, 2021. Including the $9.4 million on deposit, average daily cash was $94.4 million. For the three months ended June 30, 2021, the average daily cash balance excludes $22.1 million and $17.5 million of funds on deposit in a non-interest bearing account which closed on June 17, 2021 and June 24, 2021, respectively. The average daily cash balance also excludes $9.4 million of funds on deposit in a non-interest bearing account for a transaction that closed on August 20, 2021. Including the aggregate amount of $49.0 million on deposit, average daily cash was $125.7 million.

Our consolidated net income attributable to our common stockholders was $7.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2021, compared to $9.3 million for the September 30, 2021 quarter.

Our net interest income for the quarter ended December 31, 2021 prior to the net decrease in the present value of expected credit losses was $14.2 million, a decrease of $0.2 million over the prior quarter. Gross interest income increased by $0.2 million driven by an increase in the average balance of our investments in mortgage loans. Our interest expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2021 increased $0.4 million compared to the prior quarter primarily as a result of the acquisition of Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2019-C ("2019-C"). We acquired the remaining outstanding 66% of the Class B notes and trust certificates in 2019-C from our joint venture partner and retired the outstanding $95.2 million liability for the senior bond on December 27, 2021 which carried an interest rate higher than our current borrowing rate. As a result we now own a 100% interest in the loans that were formerly in 2019-C. By calling 2019-C we accelerated the amortization of the deferred issuance costs of $0.3 million.

During the quarter ended December 31, 2021, we recorded $4.3 million in earnings from a reduction in expected future credit losses compared to a $3.7 million reduction in the third quarter of 2021, for an increase of $0.6 million due to higher than expected payments received during the quarter. We generally acquire loans at a discount and record an allowance for expected credit losses at acquisition. We update the allowance quarterly based on changing cash flow expectations in accordance with the current expected credit losses accounting standard, otherwise known as CECL.

Our operating expenses increased during the quarter ended December 31, 2021 due to an increase in loan servicing expense primarily due to including a full quarter of servicing fee expense on an NPL pool acquired in September 2021 and the acquisition of loans from 2019-C. We also experienced increased tax consulting and preparation fees of $0.5 million, and increased amortization of the put option liability. The increase in tax preparation fees is a one-time adjustment not expected to recur in 2022.

We ended the quarter with a book value of $15.92 per common share, compared to a book value per common share of $16.00 for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. The decrease in book value is due to both the special cash dividend of $0.10 per share declared on December 30, 2021 and a reduction in common equity resulting from net fair value decreases of $2.4 million, or approximately $0.08 per share, taken on our portfolio of debt securities recorded as an adjustment to equity after considering our regular quarterly dividends on common and preferred stock and our quarterly earnings.

During the quarter, we acquired the remaining outstanding 66% of the Class B notes and trust certificates in 2019-C for approximately $33.5 million in cash. The acquisition resulted in us owning 100% of the equity interest of the Trust and the related mortgage loan assets and senior debt outstanding. Subsequent to the acquisition, we removed our prior investment in securities and beneficial interests for 2019-C and recorded a $152.9 million investment in mortgage loans and a $95.2 million liability for the senior bond. The senior bond was redeemed on December 27, 2021. We paid double interest expense of approximately $0.1 million while the acquired mortgage loans and debt securities were placed on a repurchase line before the senior bond could be retired. The combination of the additional interest expense and the acceleration of the deferred issue costs for calling 2019-C contributed an additional $0.4 million of expenses for the quarter, or about $0.02 per share. By consolidating 2019-C, and removing the related securities and beneficial interests from our balance sheet, our future earnings from debt securities will decrease and we will have higher interest income from mortgage loans and higher servicing fees from our direct ownership of the underlying loans.

Including the loans acquired through 2019-C, we purchased $148.8 million of RPLs with UPB of $149.5 million at 54.1% of property value, $3.5 million of NPLs with UPB of $3.3 million at 56.5% of property value, and $5.4 million of SBC loans with UPB of $5.3 million at 43.7% of property value. These loans were acquired and included on our consolidated balance sheet for a weighted average of 52 days of the quarter. We ended the quarter with $1.1 billion of mortgage loans with an aggregate UPB of $1.2 billion.

On November 19, 2021, we co-invested with third party institutional accredited investors to form a joint venture, 2021 NPL1 and acquired 16.33% of the varying classes of securities including class A securities, B securities and trust certificates. 2021 NPL1 acquired 2,343 NPLs with aggregate UPB of $329.8 million. The purchase price is 102.7% of UPB and 47.2% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral of $716.7 million. Based on the structure of the transaction we do not consolidate 2021 NPL1 under U.S. GAAP.

We recorded $0.1 million in impairments on our REO held-for-sale portfolio in real estate operating expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2021. We sold nine properties in the fourth quarter and nine properties were added to REO held-for-sale through foreclosures, deed in lieu proceedings or direct purchase. Limited housing inventory has accelerated our REO liquidation timelines while we are continuing to experience some delays in foreclosure proceedings relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We collected $86.6 million of cash during the fourth quarter as a result of loan payments, loan payoffs, sales of REO, payoff of securities and cash collections on our securities portfolio to end the quarter with $84.4 million in cash and cash equivalents. Cash collections of $67.6 million were derived from our mortgage loan and REO portfolios as a result of loan payments, loan payoffs, and sales of REO during the quarter, and $19.0 million were derived from interest and principal payments on investments in debt securities and beneficial interests.

During the quarter ended December 31, 2021, we repurchased an aggregate principal amount of $1.3 million of our senior convertible notes for a total purchase price of $1.3 million, and accelerated the amortization of the deferred issuance costs of $0.1 million.

On December 30, 2021, our Board of Directors declared a special cash dividend of $0.10 per share of our common stock, which was paid on January 25, 2022 to our common stockholders of record as of January 10, 2022.

The following table provides an overview of our portfolio at December 31, 2021 ($ in thousands):

No. of loans

 

 

5,941

 

 

Weighted average coupon

 

 

4.33

%

Total UPB(1)

 

$

1,165,841

 

 

Weighted average LTV(5)

 

 

63.7

%

Interest-bearing balance

 

$

1,069,407

 

 

Weighted average remaining term (months)

 

 

295

 

Deferred balance(2)

 

$

96,434

 

 

No. of first liens

 

 

5,883

 

Market value of collateral(3)

 

$

2,193,143

 

 

No. of second liens

 

 

58

 

Original purchase price/total UPB

 

 

82.0

%

 

No. of REO held-for-sale

 

 

31

 

Original purchase price/market value of collateral

 

 

47.1

%

 

Market value of REO held-for-sale(6)

 

$

6,611

 

RPLs

 

 

87.5

%

 

Carrying value of debt securities and beneficial interests in trusts

 

$

494,361

 

NPLs

 

 

10.8

%

 

Loans with 12 for 12 payments as an approximate percentage of UPB(7)

 

 

72.3

%

SBC loans(4)

 

 

1.7

%

 

Loans with 24 for 24 payments as an approximate percentage of UPB(8)

 

 

63.9

%

____________________________________________________________

(1)

Our loan portfolio consists of fixed rate (60.6% of UPB), ARM (7.5% of UPB) and Hybrid ARM (31.9% of UPB) mortgage loans.

(2)

Amounts that have been deferred in connection with a loan modification on which interest does not accrue. These amounts generally become payable at maturity.

(3)

As of the reporting date.

(4)

SBC loans includes both purchased and originated loans.

(5)

UPB as of December 31, 2021 divided by market value of collateral and weighted by the UPB of the loan.

(6)

Market value of other REO is the estimated expected gross proceeds from the sale of the REO less estimated costs to sell, including repayment of servicer advances.

(7)

Loans that have made at least 12 of the last 12 payments, or for which the full dollar amount to cover at least 12 payments has been made in the last 12 months.

(8)

Loans that have made at least 24 of the last 24 payments, or for which the full dollar amount to cover at least 24 payments has been made in the last 24 months.

Subsequent Events

Since quarter end, we have acquired two residential RPLs in two transactions from two different sellers. The purchase price of the RPLs was 89.0% of UPB and 57.9% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral of $0.5 million.

We have agreed to acquire, subject to due diligence, 23 residential RPLs in five transactions, and 39 NPLs in three transactions, with aggregate UPB of $5.6 million and $7.4 million, respectively. The purchase price of the residential RPLs is 98.3% of UPB and 39.7% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral of $13.8 million. The purchase price of the NPLs is 99.2% of UPB and 49.9% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral of $14.7 million.

In January 2022, Gaea Real Estate Corp. ("Gaea"), an affiliated company in which we hold an interest, completed a private capital raise through which it raised $30.0 million from the issuance of 1,828,153 shares of common stock and warrants. We acquired 371,103 shares and an equal number of warrants for $6.1 million. Upon completion of the private placement, our ownership interest in Gaea was approximately 22.2%.

On March 3, 2022, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.26 per share to be paid on March 31, 2022 to stockholders of record as of March 18, 2022.

Conference Call

Great Ajax Corp. will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 3, 2022 to review our financial results for the quarter. A live Webcast of the conference call will be accessible from the Investor Relations section of our website www.greatajax.com. An archive of the Webcast will be available for 90 days.

About Great Ajax Corp.

Great Ajax Corp. is a Maryland corporation that is a real estate investment trust, that focuses primarily on acquiring, investing in and managing RPLs secured by single-family residences and commercial properties and, to a lesser extent, NPLs. We also originate and acquire loans secured by multi-family residential and smaller commercial mixed use retail/residential properties and acquire multi-family retail/residential and mixed use and commercial properties. We are externally managed by Thetis Asset Management LLC. Our mortgage loans and other real estate assets are serviced by Gregory Funding LLC, an affiliated entity. We have elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust under the Internal Revenue Code.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Words such as “believes,” “intends,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” and “future” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions, many of which are beyond the control of Great Ajax, including, without limitation, risks relating to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the risk factors and other matters set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021 when filed with the SEC. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused significant volatility and disruption in the financial markets both globally and in the United States. If the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread or the response to contain it is unsuccessful, Great Ajax could experience material adverse effects on its business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Great Ajax undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

GREAT AJAX CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Dollars in thousands except per share amounts)

 

 

 

Three months ended

 

 

December 31,
2021

 

September 30,
2021

 

June 30,
2021

 

March 31,
2021

 

 

(unaudited)

 

(unaudited)

 

(unaudited)

 

(unaudited)

INCOME:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income

 

$

23,246

 

 

$

23,054

 

 

$

23,048

 

 

$

24,035

 

Interest expense

 

 

(8,999

)

 

 

(8,609

)

 

 

(8,830

)

 

 

(10,304

)

Net interest income

 

 

14,247

 

 

 

14,445

 

 

 

14,218

 

 

 

13,731

 

Net decrease in the net present value of expected credit losses(1)

 

 

4,296

 

 

 

3,678

 

 

 

4,733

 

 

 

5,516

 

Net interest income after the impact of changes in the net present value of expected credit losses

 

 

18,543

 

 

 

18,123

 

 

 

18,951

 

 

 

19,247

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income from equity method investments

 

 

89

 

 

 

90

 

 

 

357

 

 

 

163

 

Other income

 

 

765

 

 

 

778

 

 

 

486

 

 

 

356

 

Total revenue, net

 

 

19,397

 

 

 

18,991

 

 

 

19,794

 

 

 

19,766

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXPENSE:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related party expense - loan servicing fees

 

 

2,158

 

 

 

1,743

 

 

 

1,699

 

 

 

1,833

 

Related party expense - management fee

 

 

2,281

 

 

 

2,292

 

 

 

2,270

 

 

 

2,273

 

Professional fees

 

 

1,011

 

 

 

526

 

 

 

763

 

 

 

640

 

Real estate operating expenses

 

 

131

 

 

 

(76

)

 

 

88

 

 

 

185

 

Fair value adjustment on put option liability

 

 

2,824

 

 

 

2,493

 

 

 

2,201

 

 

 

1,944

 

Other expense

 

 

1,315

 

 

 

1,227

 

 

 

1,375

 

 

 

1,304

 

Total expense

 

 

9,720

 

 

 

8,205

 

 

 

8,396

 

 

 

8,179

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

367

 

 

 

 

 

 

161

 

 

 

911

 

Income before provision for income tax

 

 

9,310

 

 

 

10,786

 

 

 

11,237

 

 

 

10,676

 

Provision for income tax

 

 

31

 

 

 

102

 

 

 

67

 

 

 

34

 

Consolidated net income

 

 

9,279

 

 

 

10,684

 

 

 

11,170

 

 

 

10,642

 

Less: consolidated net (loss)/income attributable to non-controlling interests

 

 

(33

)

 

 

(578

)

 

 

(1,158

)

 

 

1,689

 

Consolidated net income attributable to Company

 

 

9,312

 

 

 

11,262

 

 

 

12,328

 

 

 

8,953

 

Less: dividends on preferred stock

 

 

1,950

 

 

 

1,949

 

 

 

1,950

 

 

 

1,949

 

Consolidated net income attributable to common stockholders

 

$

7,362

 

 

$

9,313

 

 

$

10,378

 

 

$

7,004

 

Basic earnings per common share

 

$

0.32

 

 

$

0.40

 

 

$

0.45

 

 

$

0.30

 

Diluted earnings per common share

 

$

0.32

 

 

$

0.38

 

 

$

0.42

 

 

$

0.30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares – basic

 

 

22,905,267

 

 

 

22,862,429

 

 

 

22,825,804

 

 

 

22,816,978

 

Weighted average shares – diluted

 

 

30,439,064

 

 

 

30,407,649

 

 

 

30,198,696

 

 

 

22,816,978

 

____________________________________________________________

(1)

Net decrease in the net present value of expected credit losses represents the net decrease to the allowance resulting from changes in actual and expected cash flows during the quarters ended December 31, 2021, September 30, 2021, June 30, 2021 and March 31, 2021. It represents the net increase of the present value of the expected cash flows in excess of contractual cash flows offset by any incremental provision expense on the Mortgage loan pools and Beneficial interests. The decrease is calculated at the pool level for Mortgage loans and at the security level for Beneficial interests. To the extent a pool or Beneficial interest has an associated allowance, the decrease in expected credit losses is recorded in the period in which the change occurs, otherwise it is recognized prospectively as an increase in yield.

GREAT AJAX CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Dollars in thousands except per share amounts)

 

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

December 31, 2020

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

84,426

 

 

$

107,147

 

Cash held in trust

 

 

3,100

 

 

 

188

 

Mortgage loans held-for-sale, net

 

 

29,572

 

 

 

 

Mortgage loans held-for-investment, net(1,2)

 

 

1,080,434

 

 

 

1,119,372

 

Real estate owned properties, net(3)

 

 

6,063

 

 

 

8,526

 

Investments in securities at fair value(4)

 

 

355,178

 

 

 

273,834

 

Investments in beneficial interests(5)

 

 

139,588

 

 

 

91,418

 

Receivable from servicer

 

 

20,899

 

 

 

15,755

 

Investment in affiliates

 

 

27,020

 

 

 

28,616

 

Prepaid expenses and other assets

 

 

13,400

 

 

 

8,876

 

Total assets

 

$

1,759,680

 

 

$

1,653,732

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

Secured borrowings, net(1,2,6)

 

$

575,563

 

 

$

585,403

 

Borrowings under repurchase transactions

 

 

546,054

 

 

 

421,132

 

Convertible senior notes, net(6)

 

 

102,845

 

 

 

110,057

 

Management fee payable

 

 

2,279

 

 

 

2,247

 

Put option liability

 

 

23,667

 

 

 

14,205

 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

 

 

8,799

 

 

 

6,197

 

Total liabilities

 

 

1,259,207

 

 

 

1,139,241

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity:

 

 

 

 

Preferred stock $0.01 par value; 25,000,000 shares authorized

 

 

 

 

Series A 7.25% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable, $25.00 liquidation preference per share, 2,307,400 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020

 

 

51,100

 

 

 

51,100

 

Series B 5.00% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable, $25.00 liquidation preference per share, 2,892,600 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020

 

 

64,044

 

 

 

64,044

 

Common stock $0.01 par value; 125,000,000 shares authorized, 23,146,775 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 22,978,339 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020

 

 

233

 

 

 

231

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

316,162

 

 

 

317,424

 

Treasury stock

 

 

(1,691

)

 

 

(1,159

)

Retained earnings

 

 

66,427

 

 

 

53,346

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income

 

 

1,020

 

 

 

375

 

Equity attributable to stockholders

 

 

497,295

 

 

 

485,361

 

Non-controlling interests(7)

 

 

3,178

 

 

 

29,130

 

Total equity

 

 

500,473

 

 

 

514,491

 

Total liabilities and equity

 

$

1,759,680

 

 

$

1,653,732

 

____________________________________________________________

(1)

Mortgage loans held-for-investment, net include $756.8 million and $842.2 million of loans at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, transferred to securitization trusts that are variable interest entities (“VIEs”); these loans can only be used to settle obligations of the VIEs. Secured borrowings consist of notes issued by VIEs that can only be settled with the assets and cash flows of the VIEs. The creditors do not have recourse to the primary beneficiary (Great Ajax Corp.). Mortgage loans held-for-investment, net include $7.1 million and $13.7 million of allowance for expected credit losses at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 respectively.

(2)

As of December 31, 2021, balances for Mortgage loans held-for-investment, net include $1.4 million from a 50.0% owned joint venture. As of December 31, 2020, balances for Mortgage loans held-for-investment, net include $307.1 million and Secured borrowings, net of deferred costs includes $250.6 million from 50.0% and 63.0% owned joint ventures, all of which we consolidate under U.S. GAAP. The creditors do not have recourse to the primary beneficiary (Great Ajax Corp.).

(3)

Real estate owned properties, net, are presented net of valuation allowances of $0.5 million and $1.4 million at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

(4)

As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Investments in securities at fair value include amortized cost basis of $354.2 million and $273.4 million, respectively, and net unrealized gains of $1.0 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

(5)

Investments in beneficial interests includes allowance for expected credit losses of $0.6 million and $4.5 million at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

(6)

Secured borrowings, net are presented net of deferred issuance costs of $7.3 million at December 31, 2021 and $5.4 million at December 31, 2020. Convertible senior notes, net are presented net of deferred issuance costs of $1.7 million at December 31, 2021 and $3.3 million at December 31, 2020.

(7)

As of December 31, 2021 non-controlling interests includes $1.8 million from a 50.0% owned joint venture, $1.3 million from a 53.1% owned subsidiary and $0.1 million from a 99.9% owned subsidiary. As of December 31, 2020 non-controlling interests includes $27.4 million from the 50.0% and 63.0% owned joint ventures, $1.5 million from a 53.1% owned subsidiary and $0.2 million from a 99.9% owned subsidiary which we consolidates under U.S. GAAP.

Appendix A - Earnings per share

The following table sets forth the components of basic and diluted EPS ($ in thousands, except per share):

 

 

 

Three months ended

 

December 31, 2021

 

September 30, 2021

 

June 30, 2021

 

March 31, 2021

 

 

Income

(Numerator)

 

Shares

(Denominator)

 

Per Share

Amount

 

Income

(Numerator)

 

Shares

(Denominator)

 

Per Share

Amount

 

Income

(Numerator)

 

Shares

(Denominator)

 

Per Share

Amount

 

Income

(Numerator)

 

Shares

(Denominator)

 

Per Share

Amount

 

 

(unaudited)

 

(unaudited)

 

(unaudited)

 

(unaudited)

Basic EPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consolidated net income attributable to common stockholders

 

$

7,362

 

 

22,905,267

 

 

 

$

9,313

 

 

22,862,429

 

 

 

$

10,378

 

 

22,825,804

 

 

 

$

7,004

 

 

22,816,978

 

 

Allocation of earnings to participating restricted shares

 

 

(79

)

 

 

 

 

 

(92

)

 

 

 

 

 

(78

)

 

 

 

 

 

(52

)

 

 

 

Consolidated net income attributable to unrestricted common stockholders

 

$

7,283

 

 

22,905,267

 

$

0.32

 

$

9,221

 

 

22,862,429

 

$

0.40

 

$

10,300

 

 

22,825,804

 

$

0.45

 

$

6,952

 

 

22,816,978

 

$

0.30

Effect of dilutive securities(1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restricted stock grants and manager and director fee shares(2)

 

 

79

 

 

248,482

 

 

 

 

92

 

 

229,291

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization of put option(3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense (add back) and assumed conversion of shares from convertible senior notes(4)

 

 

2,229

 

 

7,285,315

 

 

 

 

2,237

 

 

7,315,929

 

 

 

 

2,255

 

 

7,372,892

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted EPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consolidated net income attributable to common stockholders and dilutive securities

 

$

9,591

 

 

30,439,064

 

$

0.32

 

$

11,550

 

 

30,407,649

 

$

0.38

 

$

12,555

 

 

30,198,696

 

$

0.42

 

$

6,952

 

 

22,816,978

 

$

0.30

____________________________________________________________

(1)

 

Our outstanding warrants for an additional 6,500,000 shares of common stock would have an anti-dilutive effect on diluted earnings per share for the three months ended December 31, 2021, September 30, 2021, June 30, 2021 and March 31, 2021 and have not been included in the calculation.

(2)

 

The effect of restricted stock grants and manager and director fee shares on our diluted EPS calculation for the three months ended June 30, 2021 and March 31, 2021 would have been anti-dilutive and have been removed from the calculation.

(3)

 

The effect of the amortization of put options on our diluted EPS calculation for the three months ended December 31, 2021, September 30, 2021, June 30, 2021 and March 31, 2021 would have been anti-dilutive and have been removed from the calculation.

(4)

 

The effect of interest expense and assumed conversion of shares from convertible senior notes on our diluted EPS calculation for the three months ended March 31, 2021 would have been anti-dilutive and have been removed from the calculation.

 

Lawrence Mendelsohn

Chief Executive Officer

Or

Mary Doyle

Chief Financial Officer

Mary.Doyle@aspencapital.com

503-444-4224

Source: Great Ajax Corp.

FAQ

What were Great Ajax's Q4 2021 earnings results?

In Q4 2021, Great Ajax Corp. reported a net income of $7.4 million and basic EPS of $0.32.

How much interest income did AJX generate in Q4 2021?

Great Ajax generated $23.2 million in interest income for Q4 2021.

What was the book value per share for AJX at the end of 2021?

The book value per common share for Great Ajax Corp. was $15.92 as of December 31, 2021.

Did Great Ajax declare any dividends in Q4 2021?

Yes, Great Ajax declared a special cash dividend of $0.10 per share, paid on January 25, 2022.

What was the total cash collected by AJX in Q4 2021?

Great Ajax collected a total of $86.6 million from various sources in Q4 2021.

Great Ajax Corp.

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