The issue, as we learned last August, was that Chimera Investment Corporation (NYSE:CIM) had incorrectly accounted for the deterioration in its non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities portfolio, which makes up roughly 75% of the company’s holdings. By doing so since its inception in 2007, it had overstated its net income by a factor of nearly three. But critically, the impact on its balance sheet and thus book value was neutral.
For a time, this led analysts, including me, to question the integrity of Chimera Investment Corporation (NYSE:CIM)’s executive team. Fueling my concerns was the fact that both its chief executive officer and chief financial officer are related, respectively, to a director and executive at Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE:NLY) , Chimera’s manager. The implication being that nepotism as opposed to merit was behind both their positions and seven-figure salaries.
But after combing through Chimera Investment Corporation (NYSE:CIM)’s 2011 10-K, which was filed belatedly last Friday, I’ve concluded that the issue appears rather to be one of competence and not integrity. And specifically, competence about the manner in which credit-impaired non-agency MBSes should be treated for accounting purposes. Bear with me for a bit, and you’ll see what I mean.
Painting with a very broad brush, there are two sets of rules that a financial company like Chimera Investment Corporation (NYSE:CIM) uses to account for MBSes. The first set governs agency MBSes — that is, MBSes that are either issued or otherwise backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. On the balance sheet, if these are characterized as available for sale, as they are on most REIT balance sheets, then they are held at fair value. Any deterioration in value, which is bound to be minimal assuming the security wasn’t egregiously overpaid for, is typically recorded as other comprehensive income (loss), or “OCI.” And on the income statement, the amount of interest recorded over the life of the security is equal to the contractual cash flows of the security and the accretion/amortization of any purchase discount or premium.
The operative word in the rule governing interest income on agency MBSes is “contractual.” Because the interest payments on agency MBSes are implied to be insured by the full faith and credit of the United States, outside of prepayment risk, it’s effectively safe to presume that all such payments will be made. The amount of interest accrued each month, in turn, is a function of the contractual — and not the actual or expected — cash flows of the security and thus the underlying mortgages. In addition, because the principal is similarly guaranteed, the magnitude of any other-than-temporary impairment to the security’s value, or “OTTI,” is narrowly constrained.
This is notably not the case with non-agency MBSes, which are governed by different rules for accounting purposes. On the balance sheet, like agency MBSes, if these are characterized as available for sale, then they are held at fair value. If the value of a security does deteriorate, however, and the deterioration is recognized on the income statement as an OTTI, then the corresponding amount is debited from equity via the retained earnings/accumulated deficit line item. On the income statement, meanwhile, the amount of interest recorded over the life of the security is equal to the amount and timing of cash flows expected to be collected. Additionally, if there is a negative change in expected cash flows, then an OTTI equal to the adverse change must also be recorded.
