Farmer Mac Closes $300.1 Million Securitization of Agricultural Mortgage-Backed Securities (AMBS)
- Successfully closed a significant $300.1 million agricultural mortgage securitization
- Strong market demand and execution despite market volatility
- Enhanced sophistication with three guaranteed classes offering different repayment options
- Demonstrates consistent issuance as sixth transaction in FARM series since 2021
- None.
Insights
Farmer Mac's $300.1M securitization demonstrates strong market execution and expanded investor base despite volatility.
This $300.1 million agricultural mortgage securitization represents Farmer Mac's sixth transaction in their FARM series since 2021, showcasing consistent market access and execution capabilities. The sophisticated structure includes a $277.6 million senior tranche (guaranteed by Farmer Mac) and a $22.5 million unguaranteed subordinate tranche.
The transaction's enhanced structure deserves attention – the senior portion was divided into three classes (A, A1, and A2), each with different principal repayment profiles. This structural innovation successfully attracted new investors, demonstrating the company's ability to adapt their offerings to market demand.
The underlying asset pool consists of 350 agricultural mortgage loans underwritten to standards that stress-test repayment capacity, indicating prudent risk management. With approximately 7.5% of the transaction in a subordinate position, the structure incorporates meaningful credit enhancement.
Management's reference to successful execution "amid recent market volatility" signals Farmer Mac's resilience and continued market access during challenging conditions. The participation of multiple financial institutions (BofA Securities, Oppenheimer, CastleOak Securities, and Stifel Nicolaus) as distribution partners suggests broad market support.
This transaction aligns perfectly with Farmer Mac's core mission of providing liquidity to agricultural and rural markets. While the direct financial impact isn't quantified in the release, the successful execution of large securitizations supports their business model of recycling capital to expand credit availability in rural America.
"The successful completion of our latest securitization transaction underscores our commitment to being a frequent issuer and developing a vibrant and liquid AMBS market," said President & Chief Executive Officer, Brad Nordholm. "Our FARM securitization program is central to our core mission to improve credit accessibility in rural America, and we aim to continue this momentum by identifying and delivering new opportunities for investors."
The mortgage pool for FARM Series 2025-1 consists of 350 agricultural mortgage loans with an aggregate outstanding principal balance of approximately
"We're extremely pleased with the strong execution and enthusiastic market response, especially amid recent market volatility," said Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Aparna Ramesh. "The continued support from our investor base and sustained demand for agricultural mortgage loans provide ample liquidity to introduce new products that align with our mission fulfillment."
BofA Securities, Inc. and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. acted as joint bookrunners along with CastleOak Securities, L.P. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, as selling group members. Dechert LLP served as legal advisor to Farmer Mac. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal advisor to BofA Securities, Inc., Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., CastleOak Securities, L.P., and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated.
About Farmer Mac
Farmer Mac is driven by its mission to increase the accessibility of financing to provide vital liquidity for American agriculture and rural infrastructure. Our secondary market provides liquidity to our nation's agricultural and infrastructure businesses, supporting a vibrant and strong rural America. We offer a wide range of solutions to help meet financial institutions' growth, liquidity, risk management, and capital relief needs across diverse markets, including agriculture, agribusiness, broadband infrastructure, power and utilities, and renewable energy. We are uniquely positioned to facilitate competitive access to financing that fuels growth, innovation, and prosperity in America's rural and agricultural communities. Additional information about Farmer Mac is available on our website at www.farmermac.com.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/farmer-mac-closes-300-1-million-securitization-of-agricultural-mortgage-backed-securities-ambs-302479059.html
SOURCE Farmer Mac