Ares mercial Real Estate (ACRE) - 2024 Q2 - Quarterly Report

Financial Reporting - The unaudited consolidated interim financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP and reflect all necessary adjustments for fair presentation[28]. - The Company is required to reflect current expected credit losses (CECL) on outstanding balances and unfunded commitments on loans held for investment[40]. - Available-for-sale debt securities are evaluated quarterly for other than temporary impairment (OTTI) at the individual security level[47]. - The Company did not recognize any impairment charges for real estate owned held for investment as of June 30, 2024[94]. - The Company recognized no unrecognized tax benefits as of June 30, 2024, and does not expect this to change in the next 12 months[136]. Loan Portfolio Management - The Company monitors its loans held for investment portfolio through borrower review, economic review, property review, and market review[37]. - Loans are placed on non-accrual status when principal or interest payments are past due 30 days or more, impacting interest income recognition[38]. - As of June 30, 2024, the Company has a portfolio of 42 loans held for investment with an outstanding principal of approximately $2.0 billion, down from$ 2.2 billion in aggregate originated commitments[60]. - The Company had seven loans on non-accrual status with a carrying value of $331.9 million as of June 30, 2024, a decrease from nine loans valued at$ 399.3 million as of December 31, 2023[73]. - The Company recognized a realized loss of $43.1 million on a senior mortgage loan with an outstanding principal of$ 56.9 million during the six months ended June 30, 2024, due to a discounted payoff[71]. - The CECL Reserve related to outstanding balances on loans held for investment decreased from $139.8 million on March 31, 2024, to$ 137.4 million on June 30, 2024, reflecting a provision for current expected credit losses of $2.36 million[79]. Revenue and Expenses - The net interest margin for the three months ended June 30, 2024, was$ 27.5 million, compared to $26.9 million for the same period in 2023, reflecting an increase of 2.2%[58]. - Interest expense for the three months ended June 30, 2024, totaled$ 27.5 million, slightly up from $26.9 million in the prior year[58]. - Total revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2024, was$ 16.8 million, compared to $25.0 million for the same period in 2023[211]. - Interest income for the six months ended June 30, 2024 was$ 84.9 million, down from $101.4 million in 2023, representing a decrease of 16.2%[213]. - Total expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2024 increased to$ 17.5 million from $13.3 million in 2023, marking a rise of 31.5%[215]. Real Estate Assets - Real estate assets held for investment are evaluated for impairment quarterly, considering factors like significant underperformance and economic trends[44]. - Real estate assets classified as held for sale are carried at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell[45]. - Revenue from real estate owned includes operations from mixed-use and office properties acquired in September 2023 and June 2024[54]. - The Company expects to complete a sale of the office property acquired through foreclosure within the next twelve months, classifying it as real estate owned held for sale[91]. - Revenue from real estate owned related to a mixed-use property in Florida was$ 6.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, with no revenue reported in the same period of 2023[217]. Debt and Financing - The outstanding balance of the Financing Agreements as of June 30, 2024, was $625.9 million, with total commitments of$ 1.1 billion[102]. - The Company has total commitments of $2,094,034 thousand as of June 30, 2024, down from$ 2,274,584 thousand as of December 31, 2023, indicating a decrease of approximately 7.9%[122]. - The Secured Term Loan has a commitment amount of $140.0 million, with an effective interest rate of 5.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2024, compared to 4.6% for the same period in 2023[117]. - The Company terminated the MetLife Facility in May 2024, which had a commitment of$ 180.0 million, prior to its scheduled maturity with no outstanding balance[111]. - The Company amended the Secured Term Loan, changing interest rates to 4.50% per annum until May 1, 2025, with subsequent increases of 0.25% every three months[189]. Stockholder Information - The Company renewed its stock repurchase program for up to $50.0 million, effective until July 31, 2025, with no shares repurchased during the three and six months ended June 30, 2024[123]. - The company declared a total cash dividend of$ 0.50 per share for the six months ended June 30, 2024, totaling $27,614[166]. - For the six months ended June 30, 2023, the total cash dividends declared were$ 0.70 per share, amounting to $38,525[166]. - The basic earnings per common share for the three months ended June 30, 2024, was$ (0.11), compared to $(0.04) for the same period in 2023, indicating a decline of 175%[132]. - For the three months ended June 30, 2024, the net loss attributable to common stockholders was$ 6.125 million, compared to a net loss of $2.198 million for the same period in 2023, representing an increase in loss of approximately 178.5%[131]. Management and Operations - The Company incurred management fees of$ 2,692 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2024, compared to $3,000 thousand for the same period in 2023[161]. - The Company’s management agreement includes a base management fee of 1.5% of stockholders' equity, calculated quarterly[154]. - The term of the Management Agreement ends on April 25, 2025, with automatic one-year renewal terms thereafter[159]. - The Company’s total related party costs for the six months ended June 30, 2024, were$ 7,984 thousand, compared to $8,226 thousand for the same period in 2023[161]. - The company appointed Tae-Sik Yoon as COO and Jeffrey Gonzales as CFO effective August 30, 2024[181]. Economic Environment - The U.S. macroeconomic environment shows signs of a moderate slowdown, with inflationary pressures easing and a stable banking system supporting improved investor demand[192]. - The Federal Reserve has indicated a potential decrease in interest rates in 2024, although uncertainty remains regarding the timing and magnitude of such changes[195].