Company will establish additional reserves for delinquent loan repurchases that are likely to cause a loss for the second quarter of 2007 2007 Earnings Guidance Withdrawn, but Quarterly Dividend Policy of $0.70 per Share Affirmed Company Has Issued $125 million of 9.75% Convertible Trust Preferred Securities to Funds Managed by Marathon Asset Management, LLCMELVILLE, N.Y., Jun 28, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. (NYSE: AHM) announced
today that it will take substantial charges for credit-related
expenses in the second quarter. As a result, the Company's second
quarter financial results are uncertain, and it is likely the Company
will experience a second quarter loss. As has been previously
described, the Company's credit-related expenses have been primarily
caused by the three month "timely payment" warranty the Company
granted to loan buyers who purchased stated income loans with high
loan to value ratios from the Company. The Company has stopped making
these types of loans. Consequently, the Company believes that the high
credit-related charges resulting from prior loan sales will diminish
as the three month "timely payment" warranty expires.
Michael Strauss, American Home's Chief Executive Officer,
commented, "Our company's goal is to put the impact from the
discontinued products behind us. A benefit of the substantial reserves
we are establishing in the second quarter is that the discontinued
product's impact on our future financial results is likely to
diminish. As we put the impact from the discontinued products behind
us, the positive contributions from our portfolio, mortgage
origination franchise and loan servicing business will again drive our
results. Altogether, the second quarter will be a period of "clean-up"
as the impact from the discontinued products continues to wind down."
While charges related to repurchases of discontinued products will
have a significant impact on the Company's second quarter results, new
repurchase claims have dropped substantially as the second quarter has
progressed. Specifically, claims reached a high in April, but May and
June claims have declined approximately 53% from April levels. Claims
are typically made shortly after the expiration of the warranty
period. The reduction in new claims is a result of the expiration of
the three month "timely payment" warranty on loans previously sold by
the Company. Claims and related reserves are expected to continue to
trend lower in the third and fourth quarters.
SECOND QUARTER LOSS WILL BE LIMITED
The Company's delinquency-related charges in the second quarter
will be substantial. In addition, the Company expects that it will
reclassify a portion of its other comprehensive loss. The
reclassification will be charged to current quarter earnings, but will
reduce other comprehensive loss by a like amount, and consequently
will not affect the Company's equity. Altogether, the total amount of
loss in the second quarter is expected to be contained. Specifically,
the Company expects that its total stockholder's equity will actually
be higher at the end of the second quarter compared to the first
quarter of 2007.
EARNINGS GUIDANCE WITHDRAWN
Because of Company's second quarter results and current conditions
in the mortgage industry, the Company is withdrawing its previously
issued earnings guidance for 2007. The Company expects to reestablish
earnings guidance toward year-end.
DIVIDENDS POLICY REAFFIRMED
While losses from the "timely payment" warranty on discontinued
products will drive the Company's second quarter results, base results
from the Company's mortgage origination business have benefited from a
stabilization of the secondary mortgage market. Specifically, the
Company's loan pools offered for sale are now attracting multiple
bidders and are being traded at supportive prices. Based on the
Company's ongoing revenue from its portfolio, loan sales and servicing
fees, the Company is reaffirming its quarterly dividend policy of
$0.70 per common share. The dividend policy is subject to change
without notice, and the Company's Board of Directors may reduce or
eliminate the dividends if it believes the Company's prospects warrant
such a change.
ISSUANCE OF CONVERTIBLE TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES
The Company also announced today that it has issued in a private
placement $125 million of convertible trust preferred securities to
funds managed by Marathon Asset Management, LLC. The trust preferred
securities pay a dividend of 9.75% per annum, and are convertible into
the Company's common stock at an initial conversion price of $25.57
per share. The conversion price is subject to limited downward
adjustments based on the performance of the Company's shares and its
common dividend yield.
ABOUT AMERICAN HOME
American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. is a mortgage real estate
investment trust (REIT) focused on earning net interest income from
self-originated loans and mortgage-backed securities, and, through its
taxable subsidiaries, from originating and selling mortgage loans and
servicing mortgage loans for institutional investors. Mortgages are
originated through a network of loan production offices and mortgage
brokers as well as purchased from correspondent lenders, and are
serviced at the Company's Irving, Texas servicing center. For
additional information, please visit the Company's website at
www.americanhm.com.
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" that are
based upon expectations, estimates, forecasts, projections and
assumptions. Any statement in this news release that is not a
statement of historical fact, including, but not limited to, earnings
guidance and forecasts, projections of financial results and loan
origination volume, expected future financial position, dividend plans
or business strategy, and any other statements of plans, expectations,
objectives, estimates and beliefs, is a forward-looking statement.
Words such as "look forward," "will," "anticipate," "may," "expect,"
"plan," "believe," "intend," "opportunity," "potential," and similar
words, or the negatives of those words, are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are
difficult to predict, and are not guarantees of future performance. As
a result, actual future events may differ materially from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by this
news release. Specific factors that might cause such a difference
include, but are not limited to: American Home's limited operating
history with respect to its portfolio strategy; the potential
fluctuations in American Home's operating results; American Home's
potential need for additional capital; the direction of interest rates
and their subsequent effect on the business of American Home and its
subsidiaries; risks associated with the use of leverage; changes in
federal and state tax laws affecting REITs; federal and state
regulation of mortgage banking; and those risks and uncertainties
discussed in filings made by American Home with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are inherently
uncertain, and stockholders must recognize that actual results may
differ from expectations. American Home does not assume any
responsibility, and expressly disclaims any responsibility, to issue
updates to any forward-looking statements discussed in this news
release, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
SOURCE: American Home Mortgage Investment Corp.
American Home Mortgage Investment Corp.
Mary M. Feder, Vice President, Investor Relations
631-622-6469
mary.feder@americanhm.com