- Announces 16% Dividend Increase -
- Outstanding Business Volume of $25.9 Billion -
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 24, 2023 — The Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac; NYSE: AGM and AGM.A), the nation's secondary market provider that increases the accessibility of financing for American agriculture and rural infrastructure, today announced its results for the fiscal quarter and year ended December 31, 2022.
“Farmer Mac finished 2022 with record financial results because of the solid execution across our growing organization of the strategic initiatives we have put in place over the last several years to build a more diversified business platform,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Brad Nordholm. “We’re focused on our mission of supporting American agriculture and rural infrastructure, and the strong alignment of purpose throughout our organization and customers coupled with our disciplined approach, continue to provide strength and resilience in what has been a volatile operating environment.”
|
$ in thousands, except per share amounts |
Quarter Ended |
Year Ended |
||||
|
Dec. 31, 2022 |
Dec. 31, 2021 |
YoY % Change |
Dec. 31, 2022 |
Dec. 31, 2021 |
% Change |
|
|
Net Change in Business Volume |
$595,444 |
$495,672 |
N/A |
$2,307,619 |
$1,690,368 |
N/A |
|
Net Interest Income (GAAP) |
$73,635 |
$53,836 |
37% |
$270,940 |
$221,951 |
22% |
|
Net Effective Spread (Non-GAAP) |
$71,103 |
$54,333 |
31% |
$255,529 |
$220,668 |
16% |
|
Diluted EPS (GAAP) |
$3.36 |
$2.49 |
35% |
$13.87 |
$10.27 |
35% |
|
Core EPS (Non-GAAP) |
$3.16 |
$2.76 |
14% |
$11.42 |
$10.47 |
9% |
1 Non-GAAP Measure
On February 22, 2023, Farmer Mac's Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $1.10 per share on all three classes of common stock - Class A voting common stock (NYSE: AGM.A), Class B voting common stock (not listed on any exchange), and Class C non-voting common stock (NYSE; AGM). This quarterly dividend, which represents an increase of 16% in Farmer Mac's quarterly dividend rate on a year-over-year basis, will be payable on March 31, 2023 to holders of record of common stock as of March 16, 2023. This is the twelfth consecutive year that Farmer Mac has increased its quarterly common stock dividend, and this increase is supported by Farmer Mac's earnings potential and overall capital position.
Farmer Mac's Board of Directors also declared a dividend on each of Farmer Mac's five classes of preferred stock. The quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share of 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non- Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C (NYSE: AGM.PR.C), $0.35625 per share of 5.700% Non- Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D (NYSE: AGM.PR.D), $0.359375 per share of 5.750% Non- Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E (NYSE: AGM.PR.E), $0.328125 per share of 5.250% Non- Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F (NYSE: AGM.PR.F), and $0.3046875 per share of 4.875% Non- Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G (AGM.PR.G), is for the period from but not including January 17, 2023 to and including April 17, 2023. The preferred dividends will be payable on April 17, 2023 to holders of record as of April 3, 2023.
The conference call to discuss Farmer Mac's fourth quarter and full year 2022 financial results will be held beginning at 8:30 a.m. eastern time on Friday, February 24, 2023, and can be accessed by telephone or live webcast as follows:
Telephone (Domestic): (888) 346-2616
Telephone (International): (412) 902-4254
Webcast: https://www.farmermac.com/investors/events-presentations/
When dialing in to the call, please ask for the "Farmer Mac Earnings Conference Call." The call can be heard live and will also be available for replay on Farmer Mac’s website for two weeks following the conclusion of the call.
More complete information about Farmer Mac's performance for 2022 is in Farmer Mac's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed today with the SEC.
In the accompanying analysis of its financial information, Farmer Mac uses the following non-GAAP measures: "core earnings," "core earnings per share," and "net effective spread." Farmer Mac uses these non-GAAP measures to measure corporate economic performance and develop financial plans because, in management's view, they are useful alternative measures in understanding Farmer Mac's economic performance, transaction economics, and business trends. The non-GAAP financial measures that Farmer Mac uses may not be comparable to similarly labeled non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by other companies. Farmer Mac's disclosure of these non-GAAP measures is intended to be supplemental in nature and is not meant to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or as more important than, the related financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.
The main difference between core earnings and core earnings per share (non-GAAP measures) and net income attributable to common stockholders and earnings per common share (GAAP measures) is that those non-GAAP measures exclude the effects of fair value fluctuations. These fluctuations are not expected to have a cumulative net impact on Farmer Mac's financial condition or results of operations reported in accordance with GAAP if the related financial instruments are held to maturity, as is expected. Another difference is that these two non-GAAP measures exclude specified infrequent or unusual transactions that we believe are not indicative of future operating results and that may not reflect the trends and economic financial performance of Farmer Mac's core business.
Farmer Mac uses net effective spread to measure the net spread Farmer Mac earns between its interest- earning assets and the related net funding costs of these assets. As further explained below, net effective spread differs from net interest income and net interest yield by excluding certain items from net interest income and net interest yield and including certain other items that net interest income and net interest yield do not contain.
Farmer Mac excludes from net effective spread the interest income and interest expense associated with the consolidated trusts and the average balance of the loans underlying these trusts to reflect management's view that the net interest income Farmer Mac earns on the related Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities owned by third parties is effectively a guarantee fee. Accordingly, the excluded interest income and interest expense associated with consolidated trusts is reclassified to guarantee and commitment fees in determining Farmer Mac's core earnings. Farmer Mac also excludes from net effective spread the fair value changes of financial derivatives and the corresponding assets or liabilities designated in fair value hedge accounting relationships because they are not expected to have an economic effect on Farmer Mac's financial performance, as we expect to hold the financial derivatives and corresponding hedged items to maturity.
Net effective spread also differs from net interest income and net interest yield because it includes the accrual of income and expense related to the contractual amounts due on financial derivatives that are not designated in hedge accounting relationships ("undesignated financial derivatives"). Farmer Mac uses interest rate swaps to manage its interest rate risk exposure by synthetically modifying the interest rate reset or maturity characteristics of certain assets and liabilities. The accrual of the contractual amounts due on interest rate swaps designated in hedge accounting relationships is included as an adjustment to the yield or cost of the hedged item and is included in net interest income. For undesignated financial derivatives, Farmer Mac records the income or expense related to the accrual of the contractual amounts due in "Gains on financial derivatives" on the consolidated statements of operations. However, the accrual of the contractual amounts due for undesignated financial derivatives are included in Farmer Mac's calculation of net effective spread.
Net effective spread also differs from net interest income and net interest yield because it includes the net effects of terminations or net settlements on financial derivatives, which consist of: (1) the net effects of cash settlements on agency forward contracts on the debt of other GSEs and U.S. Treasury security futures that we use as short-term economic hedges on the issuance of debt; and (2) the net effects of initial cash payments that Farmer Mac receives upon the inception of certain swaps. The inclusion of these items in net effective spread is intended to reflect our view of the complete net spread between an asset and all of its related funding, including any associated derivatives, whether or not they are designated in a hedge accounting relationship.
More information about Farmer Mac’s use of non-GAAP measures is available in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations" in Farmer Mac's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed today with the SEC. For a reconciliation of Farmer Mac's net income attributable to common stockholders to core earnings and of earnings per common share to core earnings per share, and net interest income and net interest yield to net effective spread, see "Reconciliations" below.
Management's expectations for Farmer Mac's future necessarily involve assumptions and estimates and the evaluation of risks and uncertainties. Various factors or events, both known and unknown, could cause Farmer Mac's actual results to differ materially from the expectations as expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this release, including uncertainties about:
Other risk factors are discussed in "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A in Farmer Mac's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed today with the SEC. Considering these potential risks and uncertainties, no undue reliance should be placed on any forward-looking statements
expressed in this release. The forward-looking statements contained in this release represent management's expectations as of the date of this release. Farmer Mac undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of revisions to any forward-looking statements included in this release to reflect new information or any future events or circumstances, except as otherwise required by applicable law. The information in this release is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Farmer Mac is a vital part of the agricultural credit markets and was created to increase access to and reduce the cost of credit for the benefit of American agricultural and rural communities. As the nation’s secondary market for agricultural credit, we provide financial solutions to a broad spectrum of the agricultural community, including agricultural lenders, agribusinesses, and other institutions that can benefit from access to flexible, low-cost financing and risk management tools. Farmer Mac's customers benefit from our low cost of funds, low overhead costs, and high operational efficiency. More information about Farmer Mac (including the Annual Report on Form 10-K referenced above) is available on Farmer Mac's website at www.farmermac.com.
CONTACT: Jalpa Nazareth, Investor Relations
Megan Murray-Pelaez, Media Inquiries
(202) 872-7700