Blackstone Mortgage Trust(BXMT) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For Q4 2025, the company reported GAAP net income of $0.24 per share, while distributable earnings were -$2.07 per share, with distributable earnings prior to charge-offs at -$0.51 per share [4][20] - The distributable earnings prior to charge-offs increased over 20% from Q1, covering the dividend for the second consecutive quarter [5] - The book value ended the year at $20.75 per share, which includes $0.47 per share of accumulated depreciation and amortization [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The loan portfolio is now 99% performing, with $575 million of impaired loans resolved during the quarter, reducing the impaired loan balance to just under $90 million [5][14] - The investment portfolio stands at $20 billion, up from $19.5 billion last quarter, with the loan portfolio at $18 billion and net lease assets now representing 5% of the portfolio [13] - In Q4, the company closed $1.5 billion of investments, including $1.4 billion of new loan originations, all secured by multifamily and industrial assets [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The real estate credit market is highly liquid, with CMBS issuance accelerating to its highest level since the GFC, up 40% year-over-year [6] - New loan requests in January were up 50% from the prior year, indicating increased enthusiasm from investors [7] - Nearly half of the loans are located in international markets, with almost 40% in Europe, where strong demand is driven by limited new supply [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company has strategically broadened its scope to target complementary investment channels, focusing on multifamily and industrial loans [5] - The strategy remains focused on essential-use retail with attractive credit characteristics, with a net lease portfolio scaling to over $300 million [17] - The company aims to maximize long-term shareholder value while remaining patient and disciplined in capital deployment [9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong investment and asset management results achieved in 2025, with a positive outlook for the coming year [19] - The company anticipates cash flows from owned real estate to decline in Q1 but expects consistent positive distributable earnings over time [22] - Management noted that the current dividend yield of 9.5% implies a compelling relative value proposition for the stock [10] Other Important Information - The company executed over $5 billion of corporate and securitized debt transactions in the past 12 months, reducing the weighted average borrowing spread by nearly 90 basis points [8] - The total CECL reserve declined nearly 60% quarter-over-quarter due to reserve charge-offs, which had a minimal impact on book value [23][24] - The company has been active in share repurchases, with approximately $140 million since the program's inception in July 2024 [10] Q&A Session Summary Question: Thoughts on supporting the value of loans in the portfolio - Management is exploring all opportunities to maximize shareholder value and feels good about the stock's direction given 2025's performance [29][30] Question: Views on the REO portfolio and specific assets - Management sees improved fundamentals and investor demand in key markets like New York and is strategically considering exits for several assets [33][35] Question: Investment in the Blackstone BREDS Fund - The fund will focus on high-quality core-plus real estate in the U.S. and Canada, with no fees for the fund commitment [39][40] Question: Future portfolio outlook and diversification strategy - The company intends to continue diversifying its portfolio while maintaining its core lending strategy [41][42] Question: Multifamily lending opportunities - The company views multifamily as a structurally undersupplied market and is actively lending in this space [46] Question: Initial general reserve on new loans - The current general reserve is a good proxy for the majority of the portfolio, and as the portfolio grows or shrinks, this will be a reference point [53] Question: Impaired loan resolutions and market conditions - The resolution of impaired loans was aided by the strength of the asset management team and improved market liquidity [56][58] Question: Target allocation for multifamily and industrial properties - The company prioritizes finding the right investments with the best risk-adjusted returns, focusing on diversifying across sectors and geographies [59][60] Question: Cost of capital between CLOs and bank facilities - The company aims for a well-structured, diversified balance sheet and has reduced corporate term loan borrowing spreads significantly [67][68]