SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco today announced its 2015 operating results. Net income for 2015 was $638 million, compared with net income of $205 million for 2014. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2015 was $57 million, compared with net income of $45 million for the fourth quarter of 2014.
The $433 million increase in net income for 2015 relative to the prior-year period primarily reflected a $459 million gain (after netting certain legal fees and expenses) relating to settlements with certain defendants in connection with the Bank’s private-label residential mortgage-backed securities (PLRMBS) litigation, partially offset by a decline in net interest income. The increase in net income for the fourth quarter of 2015 relative to the prior-year period primarily reflected a decrease in net fair value losses associated with derivatives, hedged items, and financial instruments carried at fair value, partially offset by a decline in net interest income.
Net interest income for 2015 was $477 million, down from $539 million for 2014. Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2015 was $120 million, down from $133 million for the fourth quarter of 2014. The decreases in both periods were primarily due to a decline in earnings on MBS, mortgage loans, and invested capital because of lower average balances, partially offset by lower dividends paid on mandatory redeemable capital stock (which are classified as interest expense).
Other income/(loss) for 2015, excluding the gain from the litigation settlement, was a loss of $71 million, compared with a loss of $154 million for 2014. The change reflected reduced net fair value losses associated with derivatives, hedged items, and financial instruments carried at fair value of $50 million, compared with net fair value losses of $94 million for 2014. The change in net fair value losses was primarily due to the effects of changes in market interest rates, interest rate spreads, interest rate volatility, and other market factors during the period. The change in other income/(loss) also reflected expense on derivative instruments used in economic hedges of $18 million, compared with expense of $64 million for 2014. Income/expense on derivative instruments used in economic hedges is generally offset by interest expense/income on the economically hedged assets and liabilities.
Other income/(loss) for the fourth quarter of 2015 was a loss of $9 million, compared with a loss of $40 million for the fourth quarter of 2014. The change primarily reflected reduced net fair value losses associated with derivatives, hedged items, and financial instruments carried at fair value of $6 million, compared with net fair value losses of $30 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, which were due to the effects of changes in market interest rates, interest rate spreads, interest rate volatility, and other market factors during the period.
During 2015, total assets increased $9.9 billion, to $85.7 billion at December 31, 2015, from $75.8 billion at December 31, 2014. Advances increased $11.9 billion, or 31%, to $50.9 billion at December 31, 2015, from $39.0 billion at December 31, 2014.
Accumulated other comprehensive income decreased by $41 million during 2015, to $15 million at December 31, 2015, from $56 million at December 31, 2014, primarily as a result of a decline in the fair value of PLRMBS classified as available-for-sale.
As of December 31, 2015, the Bank was in compliance with all of its regulatory capital requirements. The Bank’s total regulatory capital ratio was 6.3%, exceeding the 4.0% requirement. The Bank had $5.4 billion in permanent capital, exceeding its risk-based capital requirement of $2.7 billion. Total retained earnings as of December 31, 2015, were $2.6 billion.
Today, the Bank’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend on the capital stock outstanding during the fourth quarter of 2015 at an annualized rate of 7.99%. The dividend will total $55 million, including $10 million in dividends on mandatorily redeemable capital stock that will be reflected as interest expense in the first quarter of 2016. The Bank expects to pay the dividend on or about March 17, 2016.
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)
(Dollars in millions)
| Selected Balance Sheet Items at Period End | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | ||||||||
| Total Assets | $ | 85,707 | $ | 75,807 | ||||||
| Advances | 50,919 | 38,986 | ||||||||
| Mortgage Loans Held for Portfolio, Net | 655 | 708 | ||||||||
| Investments1 | 32,275 | 31,949 | ||||||||
| Consolidated Obligations: | ||||||||||
| Bonds | 51,835 | 47,045 | ||||||||
| Discount Notes | 27,648 | 21,811 | ||||||||
| Mandatorily Redeemable Capital Stock | 488 | 719 | ||||||||
| Capital Stock - Class B - Putable | 2,253 | 3,278 | ||||||||
| Unrestricted Retained Earnings | 610 | 294 | ||||||||
| Restricted Retained Earnings | 2,018 | 2,065 | ||||||||
| Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss) | 15 | 56 | ||||||||
| Total Capital | 4,896 | 5,693 | ||||||||
| Selected Other Data at Period End | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | ||||||||
| Regulatory Capital Ratio2 | 6.26 | % | 8.38 | % | ||||||
| Three Months Ended | Twelve Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
| Selected Operating Results for the Period | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | ||||||||||||
| Net Interest Income | $ | 120 | $ | 133 | $ | 477 | $ | 539 | ||||||||
| Provision for/(Reversal of) Credit Losses on Mortgage Loans | 1 | — | 1 | — | ||||||||||||
| Other Income/(Loss) | (9 | ) | (40 | ) | 388 | (154 | ) | |||||||||
| Other Expense | 46 | 41 | 148 | 144 | ||||||||||||
| Affordable Housing Program Assessment | 7 | 7 | 78 | 36 | ||||||||||||
| Net Income | $ | 57 | $ | 45 | $ | 638 | $ | 205 | ||||||||
| Selected Other Data for the Period | ||||||||||||||||
| Net Interest Margin3 | 0.55 | % | 0.67 | % | 0.57 | % | 0.64 | % | ||||||||
| Operating Expenses as a Percent of Average Assets | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.16 | ||||||||||||
| Return on Average Assets | 0.26 | 0.22 | 0.76 | 0.24 | ||||||||||||
| Return on Average Equity | 4.66 | 3.14 | 11.68 | 3.58 | ||||||||||||
| Annualized Dividend Rate4 | 8.79 | 7.40 | 12.39 | 7.02 | ||||||||||||
| Average Equity to Average Assets Ratio | 5.54 | 7.16 | 6.52 | 6.75 | ||||||||||||
| 1. Investments consist of Federal funds sold, trading securities, available-for-sale securities, held-to-maturity securities, and securities purchased under agreements to resell. | ||||||||||||||||
| 2. This ratio is calculated as regulatory capital divided by total assets. Regulatory capital includes retained earnings, Class B capital stock, and mandatorily redeemable capital stock (which is classified as a liability), but excludes accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss). Total regulatory capital as of December 31, 2015, was $5.4 billion. | ||||||||||||||||
| 3. Net interest margin is net interest income (annualized) divided by average interest-earning assets. | ||||||||||||||||
| 4. Dividend rates reflect the dividends declared, recorded, and paid during the relevant periods. | ||||||||||||||||
Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco delivers low-cost funding and other services that help member financial institutions make home mortgage loans to people of all income levels and provide credit that supports neighborhoods and communities. The Bank also funds community investment programs that help members create affordable housing and promote community economic development. The Bank’s members are headquartered in Arizona, California, and Nevada and include commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to the Bank’s dividend rates. These statements are based on our current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof. These statements may use forward-looking terms, such as “will” and “expects,” or their negatives or other variations on these terms. The Bank cautions that by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk or uncertainty and that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements or could affect the extent to which a particular objective, projection, estimate, or prediction is realized. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the application of accounting standards relating to, among other things, the amortization of discounts and premiums on financial assets, financial liabilities, and certain fair value gains and losses; hedge accounting of derivatives and underlying financial instruments; the fair values of financial instruments, including investment securities and derivatives; and other-than-temporary impairment of investment securities. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.