Redwood Trust Reports Second Quarter 2008 Results

Redwood Trust, Inc. (NYSE:RWT) today reported a GAAP net loss for the second quarter of 2008 of $46 million, or a loss of $1.40 per share. This GAAP loss included $60 million, or $1.84 per share, of net negative mark-to-market (MTM) adjustments. This compares to a net loss of $5.28 per share for the first quarter of 2008, which reflected negative MTM adjustments of $5.96 per share and to net income of $0.41 per share for the second quarter of 2007, which reflected negative MTM of $1.04 per share. Taxable income for the second quarter was $4 million, or $0.11 per share. This taxable income incorporated charges related to credit losses of $30 million, or $0.91 per share. This compares to taxable income of $26 million, or $0.79 per share, for the first quarter of 2008 and taxable income of $46 million, or $1.66 per share, for the second quarter of 2007. During the quarter, Redwood’s investments generated $52 million of cash flow in excess of operating and interest costs. Redwood invested $152 million in new assets in the second quarter, including $147 million of residential investment-grade securities. "Given the current state of turmoil in the mortgage credit markets, our acquisition activity during the quarter was focused on attractive, yet safe, investments,” said Brett Nicholas, Redwood’s Chief Investment Officer. "These investments have significant credit-enhancement to protect against credit loss and to provide a greater certainty of the range of expected cash flows.” The accounting concepts and disclosures relating to our financial statements are complex. Today, we also released our "Redwood Review” covering the second quarter of 2008. The Redwood Review contains a more detailed discussion of our business performance and outlook. The Redwood Review is available on our website at www.redwoodtrust.com. Additional information on our GAAP results is available in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2008 which we filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Form 10-Q is available on our website at www.redwoodtrust.com. We strongly recommend reading the Redwood Review and 10-Q in conjunction with this press release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ from our expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements are not historical in nature and can be identified by words such as "anticipate,” "estimate,” "will,” "should,” "expect,” "believe,” "intend,” "seek,” "plan” and similar expressions or their negative forms, or by references to strategy, plans, or intentions. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 under the caption "Risk Factors.” Other risks, uncertainties, and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected are described below and may be described from time to time in reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Important factors, among others, that may affect our actual results include: changes in interest rates; changes in prepayment rates; general economic conditions, particularly as they affect the price of earning assets and the credit status of borrowers; legislative and regulatory actions affecting the mortgage industry; the availability of high quality assets for purchase at attractive prices; declines in home prices; increases in mortgage payment delinquencies; changes in the level of liquidity in the capital markets which may adversely affect our ability to finance our real estate asset portfolio; changes in liquidity in the market for real estate securities, the re-pricing of credit risk in the capital markets, rating agency downgrades of securities and increases in the supply of real estate securities available for sale, each of which may adversely affect the values of securities we own; the extent of changes in the values of securities we own and the impact of adjustments reflecting those changes on our income statement and balance sheet, including our stockholders’ equity; our ability to maintain the positive stockholders’ equity necessary to enable us to pay the dividends required to maintain our status as a real estate investment trust for tax purposes; and other factors not presently identified. Consolidated Income Statement   Second   First   Fourth   Third   Second ($ in millions, except share data) Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter 2008 2008 2007 2007 2007   Interest income $ 127 $ 167 $ 202 $ 219 $ 220 Interest expense   (98 )   (127 )   (153 )   (165 )   (166 ) Net interest income before 29 40 49 54 54 market valuation adjustments Market valuation adjustments, net   (60 )   (194 )   (1,119 )   (103 )   (30 ) Net interest income (31 ) (154 ) (1,070 ) (49 ) 24   Operating expenses (15 ) (15 ) (15 ) (12 ) (13 ) Severance expense - - (1 ) - - Realized gains on sales and calls, net 3 - 7 2 3 Minority interest allocation (2 ) (1 ) - - - Credit (provision) for income taxes   (1 )   (2 )   2     (2 )   (3 ) GAAP net (loss) income $ (46 ) $ (172 ) $ (1,077 ) $ (61 ) $ 11       Average diluted shares (thousands) 32,871 32,511 29,531 27,892 28,165 GAAP earnings per share (diluted) $ (1.40 ) $ (5.28 ) $ (36.49 ) $ (2.18 ) $ 0.41   Regular dividends declared per common share $ 0.75 $ 0.75 $ 0.75 $ 0.75 $ 0.75 Special dividends declared per common share   -     -   2.00     -     -   Total dividends declared per common share $ 0.75 $ 0.75 $ 2.75 $ 0.75 $ 0.75 Please note that we no longer highlight core earnings as recent accounting changes incorporating mark-to-market values have rendered current results under that calculation that are not consistent across our asset classes and are not comparable to prior core earnings results. Consequently, core earnings are no longer particularly useful in our view. Consolidated Income Statement   Six Months Ended ($ in millions, except share data) June 30, 2008 2008   2007   Interest income $ 294 $ 435 Interest expense   (225 )   (334 ) Net interest income before 69 101 market valuation adjustments Market valuation adjustments, net   (254 )   (40 ) Net interest income (185 ) 61   Operating expenses (30 ) (28 ) Severance expense - (2 ) Realized gains on sales and calls, net 3 4 Minority interest allocation (3 ) - Provision for income taxes   (3 )   (5 ) GAAP net (loss) income $ (218 ) $ 30       Average diluted shares (thousands) 32,691 27,918 GAAP earnings per share (diluted) $ (6.65 ) $ 1.06   Regular dividends declared per common share $ 1.50 $ 1.50 Special dividends declared per common share   -     -   Total dividends declared per common share $ 1.50 $ 1.50 Consolidated Balance Sheet   30-Jun   31-Mar   1-Jan (1)   31-Dec   30-Sep   30-Jun ($ in millions, except share data) 2008 2008 2008 2007 2007 2007   Real estate loans $ 6,377 $ 6,775 $ 7,204 $ 7,204 $ 7,656 $ 8,377 Real estate securities, at fair value: Trading securities 841 952 1,805 12 25 34 Available-for-sale securities 400 242 317 2,110 2,926 3,726 Other investments 79 79 79 79 80 80 Cash and cash equivalents 148 257 290 290 310 83 Other assets   201   241   223   244     286   381 Total consolidated assets $ 8,046 $ 8,546 $ 9,918 $ 9,939 $ 11,283 $ 12,681   Short-term debt - Redwood $ 9 $ 2 $ 8 $ 8 $ 39 $ 849 Asset-backed securities issued - Sequoia 6,175 6,544 6,946 6,946 7,382 7,243 Asset-backed securities issued - Acacia(2) 935 1,046 1,893 3,383 3,421 3,432 Other liabilities 166 211 170 170 142 131 Long-term debt - Redwood 150 150 150 150 150 150 Minority interest 47 8 - - - - Stockholders’ equity (deficit)   564   585   751   (718 )   149   876 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 8,046 $ 8,546 $ 9,918 $ 9,939 $ 11,283 $ 12,681   Shares outstanding at period end (thousands) 33,184 32,710 32,385 32,385 27,986 27,816 GAAP book value per share $ 17.00 $ 17.89 $ 23.18 $ (22.18 ) $ 5.32 $ 31.50       (1) We adopted the fair value option under FAS 159 (FVO) for assets and liabilities of Acacia and certain other assets effective January 1, 2008. (2) Prior to 2008, ABS issued by Acacia were accounted for at cost. Consolidating Income Statement             Three Months Ended June 30, 2008 ($ in millions) Opportunity Intercompany Redwood Redwood Fund Sequoia Acacia Adjustments Consolidated   Interest income $ 20 $ 1 $ 72 $ 40 $ (2 ) $ 131 Net discount (premium) amortization 5     1     (10 )   -     -     (4 ) Total interest income 25 2 62 40 (2 ) 127 Management fees 1 - - - - 1 Interest expense (2 )   -     (67 )   (32 )   2     (99 ) Net interest income before $ 24 $ 2 $ (5 ) $ 8 $ - $ 29 market valuation adjustments Market valuation adjustments, net (31 )   -     (1 )   (28 )   -     (60 ) Net interest (loss) income (7 ) 2 (6 ) (20 ) - (31 ) Operating expenses (15 ) - - - - (15 ) Realized gains on sales and calls, net 1 2 - - - 3 Income from Opportunity Fund 2 - - - (2 ) - Loss from Sequoia (6 ) - - - 6 - Loss from Acacia (20 ) - - - 20 - Minority interest allocation - (2 ) - - - (2 ) Provision for income taxes (1 )   -     -     -     -     (1 ) Net (Loss) Income $ (46 ) $ 2   $ (6 ) $ (20 ) $ 24   $ (46 )     Consolidating Income Statement Six Months Ended June 30, 2008 ($ in millions) Opportunity Intercompany Redwood Redwood Fund Sequoia Acacia Adjustments Consolidated Interest income $ 42 $ 2 $ 166 $ 87 $ (4 ) $ 293 Net discount (premium) amortization 16     2     (17 )   -     -     1   Total interest income 58 4 149 87 (4 ) 294 Management fees 3 - - - - 3 Interest expense (5 )   -     (150 )   (77 )   4     (228 ) Net interest income before $ 56 $ 4 $ (1 ) $ 10 $ - $ 69 market valuation adjustments Market valuation adjustments, net (198 )   -     (1 )   (55 )   -     (254 ) Net interest (loss) income (142 ) 4 (2 ) (45 ) - (185 ) Operating expenses (30 ) - - - - (30 ) Realized gains on sales and calls, net 1 2 - - - 3 Income from Opportunity Fund 3 - - - (3 ) - Loss from Sequoia (2 ) - - - 2 - Loss from Acacia (45 ) - - - 45 - Minority interest allocation - (3 ) - - - (3 ) Provision for income taxes (3 )   -     -     -     -     (3 ) Net (Loss) Income $ (218 ) $ 3   $ (2 ) $ (45 ) $ 44   $ (218 ) Consolidating Balance Sheet             June 30, 2008 ($ in millions) Opportunity Intercompany Redwood Redwood Fund Sequoia Acacia Adjustments Consolidated   Real estate loans $ 4 $ - $ 6,354 $ 19 $ - $ 6,377 Real estate securities, at fair value: Trading securities 19 - - 822 - 841 Available-for-sale securities 334 66 - 84 (84 ) 400 Other investments - - - 79 - 79 Cash and cash equivalents   148   -   -   -   -     148 Total earning assets 505 66 6,354 1,004 (84 ) 7,845 Investment in Opportunity Fund 47 - - - (47 ) - Investment in Sequoia 140 - - - (140 ) - Investment in Acacia 41 - - - (41 ) - Restricted cash 2 29 - 72 - 103 Other assets   24   -   60   14   -     98 Total Assets $ 759 $ 95 $ 6,414 $ 1,090 $ (312 ) $ 8,046   Short-term debt - Redwood $ 9 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 9 Asset-backed securities issued - Sequoia - - 6,259 - (84 ) 6,175 Asset-backed securities issued - Acacia - - - 935 - 935 Other liabilities 36 1 15 114 - 166 Long-term debt - Redwood   150   -   -   -   -     150 Total liabilities 195 1 6,274 1,049 (84 ) 7,435 Minority interest - 47 - - - 47 Total stockholders’ equity   564   47   140   41   (228 )   564 Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $ 759 $ 95 $ 6,414 $ 1,090 $ (312 ) $ 8,046 Taxable Income & GAAP (Loss) Income Differences   Second   First   Fourth   Third   Second ($ in millions, except share data) Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter 2008 2008 2007 2007 2007   GAAP net (loss) income $ (46 ) $ (172 ) $ (1,077 ) $ (61 ) $ 11 Difference in taxable income calculations Amortization and credit losses (7 ) 6 (15 ) 10 10 Operating expenses 1 2 9 (2 ) (3 ) Gross realized gains on calls and sales (6 ) (5 ) (5 ) (3 ) (3 ) Market valuation adjustments, net 61 194 1,119 103 29 Provision (credit) for income taxes   1     1     (2 )   2     2   Total differences in GAAP and taxable income 50 198 1,106 110 35                     Taxable income $ 4   $ 26   $ 29   $ 49   $ 46     Total taxable income per share $ 0.11 $ 0.79 $ 0.91 $ 1.74 $ 1.66 Taxable Income & GAAP (Loss) Income Differences   Six Months Ended ($ in millions, except share data) June 30, 2008 2008   2007   GAAP net (loss) income $ (218 ) $ 30 Difference in taxable income calculations Amortization and credit losses (1 ) 21 Operating expenses 2 (5 ) Gross realized gains on calls and sales (11 ) (3 ) Market valuation adjustments, net 254 40 Provision for income taxes   3     3   Total differences in GAAP and taxable income 247 56         Taxable income $ 29   $ 86     Total taxable income per share $ 0.90 $ 3.14