AJX - Great Ajax Corp. Announces Results for the Quarter Ended March 31 2018

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 March 31, 2018. 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, non-performing mortgage loans (“NPLs”). In addition to our continued focus on residential RPLs, we also originate and acquire small balance commercial loans ("SBC loans") secured by multi-family residential and commercial mixed use retail/residential properties.

Our consolidated net income increased $1.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2017, primarily due to the acceleration of deferred issuance costs of $0.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 related to calling our 2015-B and -C securitizations. Additionally, we realized an increase in fee income from the Home Affordable Modification Program and a gain, net of impairments, on real estate owned property ("REO") sales. Our net interest income increased $0.1 million as a result of recording a full quarter of acquisitions, net of funding costs, that were made in the quarter ended December 31, 2017. Although we only hold a 50% interest in the assets of Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2017-D, we are required to consolidate 100% of its assets and record an offsetting liability and non-controlling interest for the debt and equity, respectively, held by our joint venture partner. Accordingly, our net interest income reflects the impact of consolidating the joint venture.

On January 26, 2018, we agreed to acquire an 8% ownership interest in Great Ajax Financial Services LLC (“GAFS”), the parent of our servicer, Gregory Funding LLC. The acquisition will be completed in two steps. On January 26, 2018, the initial closing, we acquired a 4.9% interest in GAFS and three warrants, each exercisable for a 2.45% interest in GAFS upon payment of additional consideration, in exchange for consideration of $1.1 million of cash and 45,938 shares of our common stock. At the date of an additional closing, expected to take place at the end of May, 2018, we expect to acquire the remaining 3.1% interest in GAFS and three warrants, each exercisable for a 1.55% interest in GAFS, in exchange for consideration of $0.7 million of cash and shares of our common stock with a value of approximately $0.4 million, with the actual number of shares dependent upon our common stock’s public trading price at the close of trading on the day immediately preceding the date of the additional closing.

We collected $50.4 million on our mortgage loan and REO portfolios through loan payments, loan payoffs and sales of REO during the quarter, and ended the first quarter with $47.5 million in cash and cash equivalents. We had an average cash balance of $51.5 million during the quarter. We continue to see a high volume of payoffs in certain RPL cohorts as borrowers continue to refinance or sell the underlying real property. Additionally, we continue to experience duration extension in other cohorts of our RPL portfolio resulting from materially lower than expected delinquencies and higher expected future cash flows in the form of interest and principal payments. This results in a significant aggregate increase in expected future cash flows for these loans but a lower current yield and lower expected current period income. The increase in the quality of the portfolio has resulted in a lower cost of funds on our securitization transactions.

We acquired $17.6 million of RPLs with an aggregate UPB of $19.7 million, and underlying collateral values of $32.4 million during the quarter to end the period with $1,247.2 million of mortgage loans with an aggregate UPB of $1,448.3 million. Mortgage loans purchased during the first quarter and held as of quarter-end were on our consolidated balance sheet for a weighted average of 56 days during the quarter.

The following table provides an overview of our portfolio at March 31, 2018 ($ in thousands):

Subsequent Events

On April 26, 2018 we closed Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2018-A ("2018-A"), a joint venture with two independent third parties, which issued an aggregate of $128.0 million of senior securities and retained $32.0 million of equity issued with respect to $160.0 million UPB of mortgage loans. Ninety-four percent of the UPB was RPLs, and 6.0% was NPLs. The senior securities represent 80% of the UPB of the underlying mortgage loans. The securities may be sold by any party at a future date. We retained a 9.4% interest and expect to account for 2018-A as an equity-method investee. Subsequently, we acquired for the account of 2018-A, an additional 42 RPLs with an aggregate UPB of $13.2 million in one transaction from a single seller. The loans were acquired at 87.5% of UPB and 61.8% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral value of $18.7 million. We also agreed to acquire for the account of 2018-A, subject to due diligence, 810 RPLs and 49 NPLs, with UBP of $138.3 million and $5.8 million, respectively, in three transactions from three different sellers. The RPL price equals 92.1% of UPB and 57.1% of the underlying collateral value of $223.0 million. The NPL price equals 57.5% of UPB and 39.6% of the underlying collateral value of $8.5 million.

Additionally, we have also agreed to acquire, subject to due diligence, 85 RPLs and 504 NPLs with UPB of $18.1 million and $123.7 million, respectively, in three transactions from three different sellers. The purchase price of the RPLs equals 91.9% of UPB and 60.0% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral of $27.8 million. The purchase price of the NPLs equals 79.5% of UPB and 63.2% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral of $155.6 million. Some of these loans may be acquired through a joint venture with institutional investors.

On April 23, 2018, our Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.30 per share, to be paid on May 30, 2018 to common stockholders of record as of May 15, 2018.

Conference Call

Great Ajax will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, May 1, 2018 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.great-ajax.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, to a lesser extent, NPLs. We also originate in loans secured by multi-family residential and smaller commercial mixed use retail/residential properties, as well as in the properties directly. 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, the risk factors and other matters set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC on March 8, 2018. 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.

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