Federal Agricultural Mortgage
Annual Report 2014

Plain-text annual report

I N N OVAT I O N . PA S S I O N . E X C E L L E N C E . O P P O R T U N I T Y. A N N UA L R E P O R T 2014 “Farmer Mac’s high-quality assets, strong industry fundamentals, and significant operational efficiencies represent a unique opportunity for investors to experience the strength of agriculture and rural America.” R. DALE LYNCH EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT–CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND TREASURER FARMER MAC ABOUT US Delivering the capital and commitment rural America deserves. Farmer Mac is the stockholder-owned company created to deliver capital and increase lender competition for the benefit of American agriculture and rural communities. For more than a quarter-century, Farmer Mac has been a vital partner helping America’s rural lenders meet the evolving needs of their customers, bringing the financial strength of the nation’s premier secondary market for agriculture right to their customers’ farms. Lenders of all sizes use Farmer Mac’s broad portfolio of loan products to offer more financial choices to their rural customers, helping them keep pace with today’s capital-intensive agricultural industry. FARMER MAC HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY CREDIT LOSSES IN ITS RURAL UTILITIES, USDA GUARANTEES, OR INSTITUTIONAL CREDIT LINES OF BUSINESS AND IN ITS ENTIRE HISTORY HAS EXPERIENCED CUMULATIVE LOSSES OF ONLY 0.15% ON ITS $19.9B OF CUMUL ATIVE FARM & RANCH LOANS INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS 2014 Key Metrics By successfully adding new customers and developing innovative products, Farmer Mac had a very successful year. We achieved record outstanding business volume of $14.6 billion, while maintaining a strong credit profile and operational efficiency. $ 15 . 0 B FA R MER M AC 01 OUTSTA NDING BUSI NES S VO LUME B Y LINES OF BUSINES S OU TSTANDING FA RM & R A NCH BU SINES S VOLUME B Y COMMODITY TYPE DECEMBER 31, 2014 $14.6 $14.0 $13.0 $ 12 . 0 B $11.9 AVERAGED $900M IN ANNUAL NET OUTSTANDING BUSINESS VOLUME GROWTH IN L AST THREE YEARS $ 9. 0 B $ 6. 0 B $ 3. 0 B Millions (M), Billions (B) 0 2 01 1 2 01 2 2 01 3 2 01 4 } S E I T I L I T U L A R U R { } S E E T N A R A U G A D S U { } T I D E R C L A N O I T U T I T S N I { } H C N A R & M R A F { NATIONWIDE COMMODIT Y DIVERSIFICATION WITH STRONG CREDIT PROFILE 54% C R O P S 17% 3% PA R T-T I M E FA R M 2% P E R M A N E N T P L A N T I N G S A G S T O R A G E & P R O C E S S I N G 24% L I V E S T O C K A NNUA L R EP OR T 2014 02 INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS 2014 Key Metrics CORE EARNINGS* $60.0M $50.0M $49.6 $42.9 $40.0M $54.9 $53.0 $30.0M $20.0M $10.0M 0 } R E T R A U Q H T R U O F { } R E T R A U Q D R I H T { } R E T R A U Q D N O C E S { } R E T R A U Q T S R I F { 90 -DAY DELINQUENCIES (as of December 31) 0.93% 1 . 00 % 0 . 90 % 0 . 80 % 0.70% 0 . 70 % $ 15 . 0 M 0.34% 0.26% 0.55% 0 . 60 % 0 . 50 % 0 . 40 % 0.35% 0 . 30 % 0.20% 0 . 20 % 0.13% 0 . 10 % $ 45 . 0 M $ 40 . 0 M $ 35 . 0 M $ 30 . 0 M $ 25 . 0 M $ 20 . 0 M $ 10 . 0 M $ 5. 0 M 0 NE T E FFE CTIVE SPREAD $1 20. 0M 1. 50% $107 $105 $103 $1 00. 0M 1. 25% $89 $8 0. 0M 0.96% 0.95% 1. 00% 0.86% 0.83% $6 0. 0M 0. 75% $4 0. 0M 0. 50% $2 0. 0M 0. 25% 0 0% } % — D A E R P S E V I T C E F F E T E N L A T O T { } $ — D A E R P S E V I T C E F F E T E N L A T O T { } Y L N O H C N A R & M R A F F O % { } O I L O F T R O P L A T O T F O % { } S E I C N E U Q N I L E D Y A D - 0 9 { $40.6 $33.3 $28.3 $18.9 0 % 2 01 1 2 01 2 2 01 3 2 01 4 2 01 1 2 01 2 2 01 3 2 01 4 2 01 1 2 01 2 2 01 3 2 01 4 CORE EARNINGS HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE 2010, INCREASING FROM $25.4 MILLION TO $53.0 MILLION DELINQUENCY RATES AT HISTORIC LOWS FOR FARMER MAC NET EFFECTIVE SPREAD TRENDED HIGHER IN ALL LINES OF BUSINESS THROUGHOUT THE QUARTERS OF 2014 * Core Earnings is a non-GAAP measure. For a reconciliation of core earnings to GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders, see “Non-GAAP Performance Measures” section in this Annual Report. INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS 2014 Key Metrics CAPITAL (as of December 31) HISTORICA L CR EDIT LOS SES FA R MER M AC 03 PART-TIME FARM PERMANENT PLANTINGS LIVESTOCK CROPS AG STORAGE & PROCES SING $800M $700M $600M $500M $400M $400M $345 $350M $300M $250M } S U L P R U S L A T I P A C Y R O T U T A T S { $192 $200M $300M $127 $145 $200M $100M 0 $475 $519 $591 $766 $150M $100M } L A T I P A C E R O C { $50M 0 $ 12 M $ 11 M $ 10 M $ 9M $ 8M $ 7M $ 6M $ 5M $ 4M $ 3M $ 2M $ 1M 0 $ –1 M 2 01 1 2 01 2 2 01 3 2 01 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 97 1 9 9 8 1 9 9 9 2 0 0 0 2 0 01 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 6 2 0 07 2 0 0 8 2 0 0 9 2 01 0 2 01 1 2 01 2 2 01 3 2 01 4 WELL-POSITIONED WITH SIGNIFICANT NEW CAPITAL TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE OUR CAPITAL RESTRUCTURING PL AN IN MARCH 2015 ONLY $31 MILLION OF CUMUL ATIVE LOSSES ON OUR $19.9 BILLION OF CUMUL ATIVE FARM & RANCH LOANS, OR LESS THAN 0.01% PER YEAR A NNUA L R EP OR T 2014 04 LETTER FROM the Chairman and the President TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF FARMER MAC: Ever since Farmer Mac was chartered by Congress in 1987, we have been steadfast in our mission of helping to increase access to capital and reducing the cost of credit for the benefit of American agricultural and rural communities. Over a quarter-century later, our commitment to serving rural America has only grown stronger, guiding our efforts to expand our customer base and the breadth of our innovative solutions. 2014 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Two thousand fourteen proved to be another strong year for agriculture despite continuing signs of an expected decline in farm income in the near term. Agricultural producers continued to reap the rewards of healthy demand for their products in the global economy, although declining commodity prices for grains has reduced profitability in the Corn Belt region. Despite this normalization in grain prices and drought in the Southwest, the agricultural economy in the U.S. remains healthy and incomes remain above long-term averages. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of our employees and valued partners, Farmer Mac had a very successful 2014. We ended the year with record outstanding business volume of approximately $14.6 billion, reflecting annual net growth of nearly $650 million despite 2014 being a year with a significant number of maturing loans. Our core earnings for 2014 were $53 million, and net effective spread generally improved throughout the year in all four of our lines of business—Farm & Ranch, Rural Utilities, USDA Guarantees, and Institutional Credit. Credit quality continues to be very favorable, with 90-day delinquencies near historic lows. In addition to healthy growth in our outstanding business volume, strong credit quality, and improving spreads, we also announced the fourth consecutive annual dividend increase on our common stock. This reflects our continued confidence in the strength of our business and our commitment to delivering consistent returns for our investors. “We are proud of our ability to help rural Americans while, at the same time, delivering strong profits for our stockholders.” FA R MER M AC 05 FOR MORE THAN A QUARTER-CENTURY, FARMER MAC HAS BEEN HELPING AMERICA’S RURAL LENDERS MEET THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF THEIR CUSTOMERS BUILDING A STRONG AND VITAL RURAL AMERICA THROUGH INNOVATION, COLL ABORATION, AND EXCELLENCE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A CAPITAL RESTRUCTURING PL AN FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR STOCKHOLDERS TODAY’S INITIATIVES AND TOMORROW’S REWARDS In 2014, Farmer Mac was able to capitalize on two strategic opportunities that we believe better position us for the future. The first was a cash management and liquidity initiative implemented in second quarter 2014. This successful initiative enabled Farmer Mac to become eligible to apply for and later be approved as a counterparty for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s reverse repurchase (repo) facility. This effort will help improve liquidity and diversify our short term investment strategy to include large repo investments with the highest credit quality counterparty. In a second noteworthy initiative, we took advantage of favorable market conditions to issue preferred stock on two separate occasions during 2014 in advance of the planned redemption of more expensive preferred stock at the end of March 2015. In the short term, these initiatives complicated our financial statements for 2014. Taking the longer view, these initiatives position us very well. We now have access to invest directly with the Federal Reserve and the capital restructuring will have a positive effect in core earnings available for our common stockholders. Going forward, our financial results will benefit from the completion of these initiatives and should more clearly highlight our fundamental business of providing financing to rural America. INVESTING IN OUR RESOURCES At Farmer Mac, we have always understood that our continued success requires investment in our most valuable resource—our people. The energy, talent, knowledge, and commitment of our team members keep us at the forefront of innovation and at the same time bolsters our own sense of mission. In return, we are committed to helping our team members enhance their skills and expand their professional success. As we seek to grow our customer base in 2015 and beyond, we understand the need to attract and retain the best and the brightest candidates that the workforce can offer. As an example, last year we implemented a diversity and inclusion strategy to ensure that Farmer Mac continues to harness the power of our employees’ diverse backgrounds by fostering an inclusive work environment that encourages collaboration, vision, and the highest standards of excellence. With the help of this outstanding team, Farmer Mac’s focus remains on innovating for our customers and helping them problem solve, expanding our seller network, and launching new products, all in service of our consistent goal of improving access to capital and delivering lower borrowing costs to customers in rural America. For example, in the last quarter of 2014, we customized an existing product to launch “Farm Equity AgVantage” so that we could offer a more efficient wholesale financing vehicle for investors in agricultural assets. This product is still in the early stages of development, and we look forward to helping bring more investment capital to rural America through this and other types of financing structures. OPPORTUNITIES “Opportunity.” This word came to mind frequently as we reflected upon the past year. As we look toward our future, the word remains fitting. We believe that the agricultural and rural economies present a tremendous opportunity for us. No matter how you look at Farmer Mac’s market share, it is small. That means there are still many potential customers who can benefit from our products and services—it’s up to us to find them. And we plan to do just that, with an energetic and passionate approach to delivering on our mission. All four lines of our business remain healthy and strong and we are very optimistic about the opportunities for growth. Ultimately, we are proud of our ability to help rural Americans while, at the same time, delivering strong profits for our stockholders. STRENGTH AND AGILITY If there is one certainty, it is that there are no certainties in American agriculture. But be assured that we are prepared for whatever the future may bring so that we can be there for our customers when they need us the most. Should credit become a bit tighter and cash less plentiful, access to credit or capital from Farmer Mac will be of even greater importance. With a combination of sound underwriting, effective risk management, rigorous stress tests, and a diverse commodity portfolio, Farmer Mac is built to last. But more than that, our forward-thinking approach ensures that we can also be innovative and agile in seeking solutions for tomorrow’s problems today. LOWELL L. JUNKINS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD TIMOTHY L. BUZBY PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER A NNUA L R EP OR T 2014 06 INNOVATION. PASSION. EXCELLENCE. OPPORTUNIT Y. the Significance We look back on the past years with pride, and forward to the next years of success. 1988 1991 1996 1999 FARMER MAC LAUNCHES USDA GUARANTEES LINE OF BUSINESS AFTER CHARTER REVISION AND EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY BY CONGRESS IN 1990 CONGRESS CONTINUES TO SHOW CONFIDENCE IN THE BUSINESS BY EXPANDING FARMER MAC’S AUTHORITY TO INCLUDE PURCHASING LOANS FARMER MAC IS LISTED ON NYSE FARMER MAC WAS CHARTERED BY CONGRESS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL CREDIT ACT OF 1987, ENACTED IN 1988, IN RESPONSE TO THE NATIONAL FARM CRISIS OF THE 1980s THROUGH LOW COST FINANCING, FARMER MAC CONTINUES TO HELP REDUCE POWER COSTS FOR TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY FA R MER M AC 07 2008 2011 2013 2014 CONGRESS EXPANDS FARMER MAC’S AUTHORIZED SECONDARY MARKET ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE RURAL UTILITIES LOANS TOTAL ASSETS SURPASS $10 BILLION FARMER MAC CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY APPROVED AS A COUNTERPART Y TO THE FRBNY’S REVERSE REPO FACILITY RURAL AMERICA HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE 1988…SO HAVE WE FARMER MAC REMAINS STEADFAST IN ITS COMMITMENT TO RURAL AMERICA BY DEEPENING RELATIONSHIPS, BROADENING ITS CUSTOMERS BASE, AND DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO INJECT NEEDED CAPITAL INTO AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY A NNUA L R EP OR T 2014 08 INNOVATIVE THINKING—We encourage strategic thinking, ask questions, seek answers, embrace new technologies, value new ideas, and acquire knowledge that displays thought leadership within the industries we proudly serve. innovation. PASSION FOR RURAL AMERICA—We share a passion for serving the people who help America set the global standard in agriculture and rural utilities while advancing the livelihood of rural communities. passion. UNRELENTING EXCELLENCE—We never underestimate the importance of accuracy or the significance of every action and interaction that contributes to our reputation for excellence in the marketplace. excellence. FA R MER M AC 09 Farmer Mac: Solving Problems for Bankers Across Rural America FARMER MAC HAS HELPED FUND LOANS TO MORE THAN 62,000 RURAL BORROWERS IN ALL 50 STATES RESULTING IN OVER $36B OF INVESTMENT IN RURAL AMERICA opportunity. A NNUA L R EP OR T 2014 10 TESTIMONIALS Dakota Mac TESTIMONIALS Ruby Valley National Bank “Twenty years ago First Dakota made a decision to have a division that we call Dakota Mac. We felt so passionate about Farmer Mac and offering long-term fixed rates to our customers, the ag customer out there, that we created a separate division just for that.” “This program is a ‘win-win.’ Our customers win by gaining access to loan terms; the bank wins with a new source of liquidity and ability to serve a full array of customers, including those with large borrowing needs.” JEFF WOLFGRAM SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DAKOTA MAC, A DIVISION OF FIRST DAKOTA NATIONAL BANK YANKTON, SD KEN WALSH PRESIDENT, RUBY VALLEY NATIONAL BANK TWIN BRIDGES, MT TESTIMONIALS Pioneer Bank TESTIMONIALS Carrollton Bank FA R MER M AC 11 “Farmer Mac has a number of fixed- rate products that we can offer to the customer, not just 1, 2, or 3. I mean you have a multitude of products you can offer. So from that standpoint, it makes us more competitive having more products and fixed-rate financing. Which is very important in the ag sector.” “Farmer Mac always knows the answer to the question before you ask it.” MARVIN KIMM PRESIDENT, PIONEER BANK MAPLETON, MN ALAN KARCHER REGIONAL PRESIDENT, CARROLLTON BANK JERSEYVILLE, IL A NNUA L R EP OR T 2014 12 Board of Directors LOWELL L. JUNKINS, CHAIRMAN 1 Political Affairs Consultant Lowell Junkins & Associates Donnellson, Iowa RICHARD H. DAVIDSON 3 Director AgriBank, FCB St. Paul, Minnesota MYLES J. WATTS, VICE CHAIRMAN 1 Professor, Agricultural Economics Montana State University Bozeman, Montana DENNIS L. BRACK 2 Director Bath State Bank and Bath State Bancorp Bath, Indiana CHESTER J. CULVER 1 Founder Chet Culver Group Des Moines, Iowa JAMES R. ENGEBRETSEN 2 Retired Professor, Finance Marriott School of Management Brigham Young University Provo, Utah DENNIS A. EVERSON 2 Director First Dakota National Bank Yankton, South Dakota SARA L. FAIVRE-DAVIS 1 Co-Owner and Managing Partner Wild Type Ranch Cameron, Texas DOUGLAS L. FLORY 3 Former Farm Credit Administration Board Member Former Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation Board Chairman McLean, Virginia THOMAS W. HILL 3 Former Chief Financial and Operations Officer Farm Credit Bank of Texas Austin, Texas MITCHELL A. JOHNSON 2 Financial Consultant Washington, DC CLARK B. MAXWELL 2 Chief Operating Officer Chatham Financial Corp. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania JAMES B. MCELROY 3 Former Director AgriBank, FCB St. Paul, Minnesota BRUCE J. SHERRICK 1 Professor, Agricultural and Applied Finance University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois DOUGLAS E. WILHELM 3 Former Chief Risk Officer CoBank, ACB Denver, Colorado 1 Director appointed by the President of the United States 2 Director elected by Class A Stockholders 3 Director elected by Class B Stockholders Executive Officers TIMOTHY L. BUZBY President and Chief Executive Officer R. DALE LYNCH Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer J. CURTIS COVINGTON Senior Vice President – Agricultural Finance TOM D. STENSON Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer STEPHEN P. MULLERY Senior Vice President – General Counsel and Secretary FARMER MAC Corporate Information STOCK EXCHANGE Farmer Mac’s Class A voting common stock and Class C non-voting common stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AGM.A and AGM, respectively. TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company 17 Battery Place Eighth Floor New York, NY 10004 Phone: (212) 509-4000 (800) 509-5586 Website: http://www.continentalstock.com CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 1999 K Street, N.W. Fourth Floor Washington, DC 20006 Phone: (202) 872-7700 or (800) 879-3276 Fax: (800) 999-1814 Website: http://www.farmermac.com ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS Thursday, June 4, 2015 8:00 a.m. The Town Hall 1999 K Street, N.W. First Floor Washington, DC 20006 Formal notice of the meeting, the proxy statement, and the proxy card are being mailed to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting simultaneously with the mailing of this Annual Report. NON-GAAP PERFORMANCE MEASURES Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders to Core Earnings (in thousands) Net income attributable to common stockholders $ 13,784 $43,894 $ 71,833 $38,251 2011 2012 2013 2014 Less the after-tax effects of: Unrealized (losses)/gains on financial derivatives and hedging activities Unrealized gains/(losses) on trading assets Amortization of premiums/discounts and deferred gains on assets consolidated at fair value Net effects of settlements on agency forwards Lower of cost or fair value adjustments on loans held for sale (30,930) 2,246 (3,692) (2,523) 5,776 4,325 200 29,368 (533) (6,480) 1,038 (7,266) (12,467) (9,457) 856 (3,863) 573 — 103 — Core earnings $ 42,907 $49,642 $ 54,892 $53,047 Annual Report Design by Curran & Connors, Inc. / www.curran-connors.com CERTIFICATION Farmer Mac has included as Exhibit 31 to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 filed with the SEC the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer certifying the quality of Farmer Mac’s financial disclosures. FORM 10-K Stockholders may obtain, without charge, a copy of Farmer Mac’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on March 16, 2015, from Farmer Mac’s website or by contacting Farmer Mac’s Secretar y at Farmer Mac’s Corporate Headquarters. INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 1800 Tysons Boulevard McLean, VA 22102 Farmer Mac reports its financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). In addition to GAAP measures, Farmer Mac also presents its “core earnings,” a non-GAAP performance measure. Farmer Mac uses core earnings to measure corporate economic performance and develop financial plans because, in management’s view, core earnings is a useful alternative measure in understanding Farmer Mac’s economic performance, transaction economics, and business trends. This non-GAAP financial measure may not be comparable to similarly labeled non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by other companies. Farmer Mac’s disclosure of this non-GAAP measure 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. 1999 K Street, N.W. Fourth Floor Washington, DC 20006 Phone: 800.879.3276 Fax: 800.999.1814 www.farmermac.com Financing Rural America®

Continue reading text version or see original annual report in PDF format above